Written by Shanley Knox
More than $65,000 was raised for Biola University’s scholarship fund and athletics at the university’s annual golf tournament, which drew a record 184 golfers Monday.
The tournament is one of Biola’s key component events directly aiding students, said Rick Bee, senior director of Alumni and Friends.
David Holmquist, athletic director and men’s basketball coach, said the tournament is helpful to the sports department and can be a significant help to the sport’s scholarship fund.
Fifty percent of the tournament’s benefits are used exclusively for athletic scholarships, and the other 50 percent helps the university’s scholarship fund to bridge the gap between what every student pays in tuition and the actual cost of their education, Bee said.
The tournament has grown significantly since its 1978 beginning. Three years ago, it was forced to move from the Friendly Hills Country Club to the Los Coyotes Country Club, when the number of players outgrew a normal 18-hole course.
“A typical tournament will max out at 144 golfers because the course only has 18 holes. We play 27 holes. That’s pretty much unheard of,” tournament coordinator Heather Cordell said.
Several corporations participate in the annual golf tournament. Many of them employ alumni, and a large amount of them are from within the community.
Eclectic Associates participated as the tournament’s title sponsor for the fourth year in a row, Cordell said. The company is owned by Karl Kamp, whose children attended Biola University. Wade Kirchmeyer, a 1982 alum, also sponsored the tournament with his company, Photo Cube-It! Inc. He said his desire to give back comes from the memories he has from his time at Biola.
“When you are alumni you want to give back as much as possible,” said Kirchmeyer.
Local sponsor Suburban Waters regional vice president Donald King also had his reasons for giving.
“We serve in this community. We give back. And this is a worthy cause, so we support the kids and the school,” King said.
Other local sponsors included: Janney & Janney Attorney Services, DSG, Chick-fil-A in La Habra, Evangelical Christian Credit Union, Stamps Foundation, Bon Appétit and Precision Offset.
“Overall we have over fifty sponsors who participate,” Cordell said.
Despite what the New York Times calls “Wall Street’s biggest crisis since the Great Depression,” Bee said Biola University is financially right on track.
“God is really blessing Biola in spite of the economy,” Bee said, adding that Biola owes its health to the generosity of donors who have not decreased in their giving.
