FOF golf tourney Saturday

The annual Friends of Football (FOF) Golf Tournament has a few slots left for its Saturday tourney at Pleasant Valley Sports Club in Clermont. 

The tourney will be a three-person, best-shot format with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. 

The cost is $120 per team, which includes lunch, mulligans, and entry to all of the door prizes and field events.  Carts are available but are not part of the tournament fee; those needing carts should contact Pleasant Valley Sports Club.

Anyone wishing to enter should call Pleasant Valley Sports Club at (563) 423-7396 or Chris Bemiss at Bemiss Distributing (563) 422-6095.

FOF’s prime objective is to help defray expenses for parents of children competing in the fifth- and sixth-grade football programs. Funds from the golf tournament also feed the students who are part of the NFV football team, including its managers and cheerleaders. 

For home games and short trips, it provides the team with sandwiches. Longer trips, like this year to Monticello, will require a bit more, like pizza. 

By doing this, students do not have to rush home and back during high-volume traffic hours.

Last season, FOF spent over $1500 feeding the team, and the hope is that there will be more players competing this season.

Gary Bemiss noted, “Youth football is not funded by the school so participants must pay to play, and it can cost three figures to do so.” 

Some families, especially those with more than one participant, have difficulty in meeting that kind of expense. If there are students who would like to participate but cannot because of financial concerns, he or she should contact someone from FOF or notify any of the program’s coaches.

According to Bemiss, “We’d like to see every kid have an equal opportunity to learn the game. Last year, we discovered that several athletes who wanted to attend the football camp did not, due to finances. FOF does not want to see that ever happen; any kid who wants to try a sport should be able to and not held back by financial reasons. 

“Let’s face it, NFV is good almost every year because we have established a program where quality individuals can be replaced by other quality individuals. One way to keep that kind of program going is to give kids a chance to learn the game as early as possible.” 

The cost to join FOF is $50, which entitles the donor to a free FOF travel mug. However, anyone who wishes to help, can donate whenever and whatever they want because every dime helps.

Anyone interested in supporting the Friends of Football should contact either Kevin or Gary Bemiss or Travis Wymer at Bemiss Distributing, (563) 422-6095.