Kiwanis fundraiser continues run of success
Courtesy photo Team Ferraro once again won the golf competition at the fifth annual Kiwanis Chili Cookoff in Pinehurst. Pictured (from left) are team members Julie Mace, Anton Ferraro, Jim Ferraro, Danni Reynolds and David Reed.
PINEHURST — The Kiwanis Club of the Silver Valley hosted the fifth annual Chili Open at the Pinehurst Golf Course earlier this month and once again the event was a success.
Russ Bartsch, a Kiwanis Club member and the event coordinator, was very pleased with the turnout both on the golf course and in the chili cookoff.
Bartsch brought the event to the area after seeing it prior to moving to the area, but thought the event would be an excellent fit for the Kiwanis Club and a good way for them to raise some money.
The golf tournament attracted five teams, who play a specialized course using tennis balls instead of traditional golf balls.
“This is a pretty unique event and only places like the Silver Valley can really pull it off,” Bartsch said. “It can all depend on the snow, some years it’s really wet and soft and you have to look for the balls after you hit them. This year it was easier to walk on the hard packed snow, but the balls were bouncing everywhere.”
While the event is geared toward the Kiwanis membership, it is also opened to the community, as people from all over the region make the trek to get in on the fun and help the club raise money for their various projects.
“The event turned out well, and the regulars who have attended in the past really enjoy it and keep coming back,” Bartsch said. “We do the best we can to raise money all yearlong, but this is definitely one of our biggest fundraisers for the year.”
Team Ferraro won the golf competition for the second straight year, team members include Jim Ferraro, Anton Ferraro, Danni Reynolds and David Reed.
The Kiwanis Club of the Silver Valley is a member of Kiwanis International, a larger organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of children in their respective communities through improving literacy, fighting hunger and offering guidance.
The Kiwanis Club of the Silver Valley has been around for several years and has worked on several projects, including the recent renovation of the baseball field inside Kellogg City Park.
“Everything we do is geared toward the kids of the Silver Valley,” Bartsch said. “The money we raise is used for projects in the community, providing scholarships for students, grants for teachers. In the past we have donated money to Project Headstart, as well as provide hats and gloves to the students at the local elementary schools.”