Penn State Altoona’s Alumni Society hosted the third annual Community for Kids (CFK) Golf Tournament Friday, July 21 at Sinking Valley Country Club in Altoona. More than $20,000 was raised to benefit the Center for Child Justice, Blair County’s Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC); the Alumni Society Scholarship Program; and Penn State Altoona Intercollegiate Athletics. The presenting sponsor for the tournament was J.C. Orr & Son, Inc.
A total of 120 golfers took part in the tournament, including former Nittany Lion football and NFL player Lydell Mitchell.
More than 85 sponsors, golfers, and alumni attended the Tee It Up Reception the night before the tournament at the Blairmont Club in Hollidaysburg. Special guests included Penn State Altoona Chancellor and Dean Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry, Penn State women’s basketball coach Coquese Washington, and former Nittany Lion football and NFL players Lydell Mitchell and Justin Kurpeikis.
Tournament Chair Tom Koehle stated, “The Community for Kids Golf Tournament has truly emerged as a must-attend golf event for our area and alumni. Through the leadership of J.C. Orr & Son, Inc. and the presence of Nittany Lion legends, we offer a glimpse of what ‘We Are Penn State’ truly means.”
The CFK Golf Tournament was established by the Alumni Society in partnership with the Blair County Multidisciplinary Investigative Team (MDIT), a group of professionals who promote the effective and efficient investigation of child abuse cases, utilizing evidence-based practices in an effort to reduce trauma to child victims. In addition to the Alumni Society Scholarship Program and Intercollegiate Athletics, funds raised from the previous tournaments supported the creation of the Center for Child Justice, which provides a child-friendly, neutral place for the forensic interview and forensic medical evaluation of child victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
“The CFK Golf Committee is proud to support the establishment of Blair County’s CAC as well as provide transformative experiences for Penn State Altoona students in need and impact the health and wellness of NCAA Division III student-athletes,” Koehle added.
The 2018 CFK Golf Tournament will be held Friday, June 29, 2018, at Sinking Valley Country Club in Altoona.