ALTON, Ill. – Nearly 55 teams of 216 golfers teed off to help raise $26,000 in support of an area charity through the 13th Annual Simmons Employee Foundation (SEF) Golf Tournament held June 23 at the Spencer T. Olin Golf Course in Alton.
All net proceeds from the event will be presented to the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, a St. Louis-based organization dedicated to finding homes for area children in foster care, and supporting foster and adoptive families throughout the St. Louis Metro area.
“When we organized the Simmons Employee Foundation in 2004 to help raise money for area charitable organizations, the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition was exactly the kind of organization we had in mind,” said SEF Director Tamara Ferguson. “Our entire board was moved by the work they do. Their passion and commitment to serving some of the most vulnerable children in our area is truly inspiring, and we were more than honored to support their efforts.”
The Coalition is best known for pioneering an innovative program called Extreme Recruitment®, which finds forever families for the hardest-to-place children in foster care, including sibling groups, children over the age of 10, children with special needs, and others. Through the Coalition’s Extreme Recruitment® program, children are matched with families in a fraction of the time it would typically take. They serve as a one-stop-shop for foster families, providing a wealth of services to educate them and ensure the matches made are successful. Their retention rate is currently 98 percent, compared to the nationwide average of 40 percent.
“The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is so honored to be the recipient of Simmons Employee Foundation’s efforts this year,” said Debbie Genung, Director of Development for the Coalition. “We serve more than 13,000 children and families in the region and rely a great deal on special events and the generosity of corporations to continue our work. We are grateful to Simmons Hanly Conroy for sharing our vision and aiding us in our mission.”
The tournament was organized into a four-person scramble format, with participants donating $100 per player or $400 per team. Entry fees included green fees, cart rental, lunch or dinner, refreshments and a complimentary gift. Additional financial support came from a 50/50 raffle, “Deal or No Deal” game, and the opportunity for golfers to have a professional golfer tee-off for them.
Click here to learn more about the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition.
About Simmons Employee Foundation
In late 2004, the employees of Simmons Hanly Conroy, a national plaintiffs’ law firm headquartered in Alton, Ill., came together to create a single, streamlined way for them to give back to the communities they are so proud to call home. As a result of the employees’ creativity and heartfelt commitment, the Simmons Employee Foundation (SEF) has provided more than $1 million of financial support and countless volunteer hours to local charitable organizations around the country.
