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The Founders Fund raised over $640,000 for college scholarships at the Ed Brennan Memorial Golf Tournament and Banquet to benefit Collier County students. The two-day event was held at Club Pelican Bay with the banquet being held on April 9 and the golf tournament on April 10; over 270 guests were in attendance for the banquet and nearly 200 participated in the golf tournament.
The Founders Fund, founded in 1991 by Club Pelican Bay golf members, is a non-profit charitable organization which provides financial assistance to students from Collier County in their pursuit of a higher education. With the success of the recent fundraising event, more Collier County students will be receiving scholarships this coming year.
The biennial fundraising event is held every other year and includes a banquet with silent and live auctions and a golf tournament. Again this year, Auctioneer Scott Robertson worked his magic during the ‘Ask’ which raised a record amount of $188,000 to support the Founders Fund scholarship fund. A top auction item that always brings in top dollar during the live auction is a gourmet meal for 12 prepared by Chef Joe of Club Pelican Bay.
“The four-year college scholarships, provided by the Founders Fund, make a huge difference in the lives of so many Collier County students who would otherwise be destined for a life of poverty in the absence of this educational lifeline,” says Rob McNaghten, Founders Fund Board President. “The results of our 2018 fundraiser exceeded my wildest dreams.”
Business sponsors making this event possible were: Presenting Sponsor - Preferred Travel of Naples; Diamond Sponsor - Mercedes Benz of Naples; Platinum Sponsors – The Brennan Family, D. Garrett Construction, FineMark National Bank & Trust, The Ibarrra Calleja Group/Morgan Stanley, Lenny “Boogie” Weinglass; Gold Sponsors - Marinelli, Sauer and Hartshorn; Moran Edwards - Wells Fargo; Northern Trust; Silver Sponsors - Blueberry’s Restaurant, Huntington Private Client Group, John R. Wood Properties; Bronze Sponsors - Brown and Brown, CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), Germain Motor Company, Gulfshore Insurance, Home Tech, KGT Remodeling, McWard Architects, Pulte Homes, Tower Dental Arts/Dr. Sonia Rocha, Vi at Bentley Village, William C. Huff Companies, William Raveis Florida, LLC; Copper Sponsors - Kathy & Bill Hughes/Downing-Frye Realty, Inc., Tom Trovato Event Floral & Design; In-Kind Sponsors - Bigham Jewelers, Club Pelican Bay, E. Sue Huff & Associates, Inc., J. McLaughlin, Occasions of Naples, and Yamron Jewelers.
Each spring, The Founders Fund selects approximately 25 to 35 graduating students from Collier County High Schools to receive scholarships based on their good grades and financial need. The $10,000 scholarships are awarded $2,500 per year as a renewable scholarship based on the student maintaining a B average. Currently, the Fund has 96 students receiving annual scholarships. Since its inception, The Founders Fund has granted over $3.6 million dollars in scholarships to over 650 Collier County students and has a scholarship commitment of over $220,000 annually.
The Founders Fund is supported by golf and social members of Club Pelican Bay, as well as many prominent local and national businesses that are very generous in their support of the Founders Fund.
For more information about scholarships, sponsorships or becoming a part of the organization, call 239-593-0124 or visit www.TheFoundersFundInc.org.