Month: May 2023

CORE’s 2023 Golf Tournament Is a Success!

The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.  The human drama of athletic competition.  Such was CORE’s 2023 Golf Tournament on May 18^th.  Ninety-six golfers took to the course at Thousand Hills Golf Resort to compete for cash and awesome prizes, and all for a good cause!

The tournament was more than just fame and riches for winners.  For one, it was tons of fun!  This event is evolving into a sports extravaganza without equals.  Our competing golfers came in all shapes and sizes, ages and genders, and skill levels and handicaps.  During the tournament, the golfers competed, enjoyed great food, caught up with old friends, and got to met new people.  Everybody had a blast!

Participants also had the chance to get outdoors on a sunny day and enjoy nature.  Branson already is known for its natural beauty, but Thousand Hills truly seems like an oasis even within Branson.  Just riding around the course is entertainment in itself.  There are streams, lakes, wooded paths, and critters!  We couldn’t get the fuzzy woodchuck to stand still for a photo – pity – but we certainly can describe it in one word – adorbs! 

Another great thing about this tournament was that it was for our favorite charity – CORE!  Our CEO Cary McKee also had the opportunity to tour the course.  His attention was focused on the golfers, and he was heartened by what he heard.  “The number of people there who came to support us, who I hadn’t met before, surprised me,” Cary told us, “I was blown away, really.  They were commending us and telling us that they’re happy to support our cause.  They shared heart-felt encouragement.”    

An event this monumentally awesome doesn’t just happen by itself.  There are lots of people who make it a success, and they deserve thank-yous and shout-outs.  First, there are our sponsors and golfers.  They made this event happen, knowing that it helps fund our recovery program which, in turn, directly benefits our communities.  They’re the best! 

There are others who we want to mention, too: 

Ozarks Dynacom, our event presenter.  The Ozarks Dynacom umbrella consists of 5 Radio Stations, Smart & Simple Communication, Smart & Simple Digital Group, MoArk Sports and The Branson Podcast Network.  Their people created and broadcast our radio ad campaign that got the word out over the airwaves and helped make this tournament the best ever.  They made sure that everybody in the Ozarks heard about it.

Image Works, Inc., our multi-media provider.  While there are three divisions to this company, whenever the public saw CORE’s beautifully printed forms, handouts, mailings, and banners, that’s all Image Works!  They did the designs and prints for everything.  They also created our website and E-Blasts for the tournament.  From the beginning, they kept us on schedule to meet the various undertakings and deadlines necessary to make this tournament happen.

Thousand Hills Golf Resort, the tournament venue.  Golf pro Kyler Patterson organized the event, which ran perfectly.  He selected all of the prize holes and made sure all the distances were correct.  His people also got all of the golfers headed in the right directions to begin play.  The clubhouse was all set up to accommodate our people for registration and administration.  We easily see why Thousand Hills Golf Resort wins so many awards as Branson’s leading golf destination.  

Gather & Graze, our event caterer.  Located on historic Downing Street in Hollister, Gather & Graze provided box lunches to all the golfers and staff.  We don’t have enough superlatives of praise for this self-described “charcuterie bar.”  It’s way better than any food served at a Super Bowl party.  Think of Julius Caesar inviting Cleopatra over for dinner – the most delectable, fresh meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, vegetables, olives, breads, and crackers.  It’s that good! 

Bass Pro Shops, the dream boat.  Bass Pro brought over an awesome boat as inspiration for our golfers.  It was the Hole-in-One prize for one of the holes.  Everybody got a good look during registration.  While nobody won the boat this year, one golfer came within 4 feet of a hole-in-one – so close! 

CORE’s Second Milers, hole and contest judges.  Our Second Milers helped so much, setting up signage, taking registrations, and serving as judges for prize holes.  

All tournament proceeds will go toward providing CORE recovery services.  We serve about 240 residential clients at any given time, all of whom have come to us seeking the permanent solution to chronic alcohol and drug use.  The auction helps cover the expenses of providing client necessities – the recovery and spirituality classes, recovery groups, counseling, housing, utilities, house supplies, and transportation services. 

We at CORE are grateful, humbled, and honored, by the contributions and efforts of all those involved with this tournament.  It was so successful that we ran out of spaces for all of the teams who wanted to play.  For this reason, we’re considering an all-day tournament for 2024, and a decision about this will be made soon.  We hope to see you next year!  

Auction Is Win-Win for Guests and CORE!

On May 18^th, CORE held our annual charity auction, which proved to be a high-energy evening full of excitement, fun, and suspense.  It was sort of like a Sotheby’s or Christie’s auction, but way better.  Our auction took place among friends and supporters, and we had great food, too!

It was our most successful auction ever.  CEO Cary McKee, when asked to comment, told us that he was overcome with gratitude by the outpouring of support for CORE’s mission:

The place was packed, sold out.  Our friends and supporters came by the hundreds with a genuine spirit of charity.  They understood what this was about.  We even tried to make the night manageable by live-auctioning fewer items, but the fundraising was higher than ever.  I’m incredibly grateful and touched by the outpouring of support for our mission.  Our supporters made this a complete success.  I want that known.  

The event kicked off with dinner, which consisted of roast chicken and pork with potato salad, coleslaw, pit beans, corn on the cob, and all sorts of yummy desserts.  Everything was so delicious!  Thus, as the auction began, the attendees had satisfied and happy tummies.  

Some really unique items were auctioned first, items like a carving set crafted by Forged In Fire champion Davy Wilson, which sold for $2,400.  But that was just for starters.  All sorts of items fetched great bids.  There were vacation packages, electronics, firearms, jewelry, artwork, and sports memorabilia, as well as gift certificates for valuables like automotive work, home repair, lawn-care, personal services, and personal care.

As Cary indicated, the bids did appear to reflect our supporters’ interest in CORE’s mission.  In fact, most of the items went for far more than their listed values.  Just one example – some pecan pies got snuck into the auction, got caught in a bidding competition, and sold for $700!  

In all, about 60 items were auctioned live.  The silent auction ran concurrently with the main event.

This year’s auction was made possible by contributions from so many persons.  First and foremost, an event this large begins with the generosity of our Sponsors and Donors.  CORE was blessed to have hundreds this year.  We proudly displayed large banners at the auction identifying and expressing our thanks to each of these persons.  We also sent out CORE E-Blasts to recognize and thank them for their generous support!

Still other persons did heavy lifting for the event itself.  We want to mention them here:

Ozarks Dynacom, our event presenter.  The Ozarks Dynacom umbrella consists of 5 Radio Stations, Smart & Simple Communication, Smart & Simple Digital Group, MoArk Sports and The Branson Podcast Network.  Their people created and broadcast our radio ad campaign that got the word out over the airwaves and helped make this auction the best yet.  They made sure that everybody in the Ozarks heard about it.

Image Works, Inc., our multi-media provider.  While there are three divisions to this company, whenever the public saw CORE’s beautifully printed forms, handouts, mailings, and banners, that’s all Image Works!  They did the designs and prints for everything.  They also created our website and E-Blasts for the auction.  From the beginning, they kept CORE’s staff right on schedule to meet the various undertakings and deadlines necessary to make this event happen.

Duane and Kay Gerken, auctioneers.  Seeing a top auctioneer at work is a thing of beauty.  Time is money, and Duane and Kay built rapport with our honored guests and kept things moving with crisp and clear auctioneering.  

Jeff Gerken and Brian Cronin, auction ringmen.  They were awesome.  Jeff and Brian took the event to the next level by calling out bids, talking to the crowd, and generating excitement and competition among the bidders. 

Alexous Hern, auction clerk.  Alexous is an account manager for a prestigious insurance firm but, on the night of the event, she volunteered her time as our auction clerk.  Her organizational skills were invaluable in recording and keeping track of all the transactions.

In addition to the above people, several persons directly connected to CORE also need to be mentioned:

Tami McKinney, our auction czar.  All the way back in January, while everybody was returning from their festive Christmas vacations, Tami already was secreted away in her special ops bunker – deep in planning.  She was masterminding this event at every conceivable level, from the molecular all the way up to the galactic.  No stone was left unturned.  Thus, in the weeks leading up to the event, “What does Tami say?” became the familiar response to every internal inquiry within CORE about the auction.  Whereupon, on auction night everything went off perfectly, without so much as a hitch, just as Tami had planned!

Christos Papanikas and Adam Yorty, our extraordinary chefs.  Christos and his team arrived to CORE the day before the auction and began prep work.  They returned early the next day, auction day, and worked steadily until the last person was served that evening.  Everything was superb.  Adam, for his part, worked out of his restaurant to prepare the scrumptious pit beans served at the event.  They were so good that they didn’t last long.  

Blake “Golden Throat” Wilson, auction emcee.  He was sort of like Ed Sullivan, only better.  We wouldn’t be surprised if he got some audio book deals out of this.

Jeremy “Sticks” Hampton, sights and sound.  Jeremy’s also a member of CORE’s Peace in the Storm worship band, and he teaches classes at CORE.  On auction night, he lent his technical wizardry to provide the magnificent audio and visuals for the event. 

Janet Weaver and Kim Stewart, auction treasurers.  They got their hustle on and cheddar up for the auction.  While that’s not entirely dissimilar from their day jobs, their presence at the auction made a most welcome impression.

CORE Second Milers, everything.  They were at our auditorium from sun up to sun down.  What didn’t they do?  These are good people to know.

All auction proceeds will go toward providing CORE recovery services.  We serve about 240 residential clients at any given time, all of whom have come to us seeking the permanent solution to chronic alcohol and drug use.  The auction helps cover the expenses of providing client necessities – the recovery and spirituality classes, recovery groups, counseling, housing, utilities, house supplies, and transportation services. 

We at CORE are grateful, humbled, and honored, by all of the contributions and efforts of everybody who made CORE’s 2023 Live and Silent Auctions a resounding success!