Each year, The First Tee – The Lowcountry salutes members of our community who reflect the organization’s core values during their Community Leadership Awards Banquet. And each year, they somehow manage to top themselves.
“This year’s banquet was amazing. Long Cove was a great venue,” said event co-chair Lynn King. “It’s nice to see people who have been a part of First Tee for 20 years come back each year, and it’s a great way to share with everybody the growth we’ve experienced.”
This year’s event, held April 14 at Long Cove Club, comes as First Tee is enjoying massive expansion. In addition to further moves into Bluffton, they just signed a new 10-year use agreement that will establish a permanent home in Beaufort and eventually a new facility north of the Broad. But at its heart, this event wasn’t to celebrate First Tee. It was to celebrate the kids and the community that make it all possible.
“I’ve done a lot of events with nonprofits, but this is one is really cool because the kids are there and they are engaged,” said King. “They greet people at the door, they present trophies … they’re very involved.”
The evening’s honorees were each tied to one of the core values that define First Tee: Perseverance: Frank Soule; Confidence: Carl Martin; Responsibility: Lola Campbell; Judgment: Ned Tupper; Courtesy, Laurie Savidge; Integrity, John Farrell; and Respect, Tom Reilley.
That last honoree, the late Tom Reilley, holds a special place in King’s heart.
The award winners for the night were: Perseverance, Frank Soule; Confidence, Carl Martin; Responsibility, Lola Campbell; Judgment, Ned Tupper; Courtesy, Laurie Savidge; Integrity, John Farrell; Respect, Tom Reilley; Jim Ferree Legacy Award, Jim Magruder; Mike Davis Award + Honesty, Bill Britton; Paul Caruso Award + Sportsmanship, Maya Singh and the Raleigh Peters Memorial Scholarship Winner, Delaney Anne-Amelia Arroyo.
“That really touched me, because we had nominated him last year before he passed. We recognized him in memoriam and almost the entire Reilley family was there,” she said. “But they were all so deserving. It really highlights the people in our community who are leaders and who represent our core values.”
In addition to community members, two of First Tee’s outstanding students were also honored, with Maya Singh receiving the Paul Caruso Award along with Sportsmanship honors, and Delaney Anne-Amelia Arroyo receiving the Raleigh Peters Memorial Scholarship.
Receiving the Jim Ferree Legacy Award was Jim Magruder, which King says was long overdue. “He literally helped Jim Ferree build the First Tee, and he’d never been recognized.” In addition, longtime First Tee volunteer Bill Britton was honored for Honesty and received the Mike Davis Award.
This year’s event also packed a few special attractions, like the return of the live auction with guests bidding on luxurious vacations, culinary cruises, and golf getaways. And one special guest almost stole the show.
“John Farrell usually brings a pro along with him to the banquet. This year we were fortunate to have Billy Horschel join us,” said King. “That was a big highlight because he sat with us all, had dinner, posed for pictures, talked with the kids … he’s very involved in First Tee of North Florida.”
To find out how you can get involved in First Tee – The Lowcountry, visit firstteelowcountry.org.
