Friends of YouthQuest turned out on August 6 for the 13th annual golf tournament to support our foundation’s work with at-risk youth.
More than 80 players enjoyed a day on Trump National Golf Club’s scenic Championship Course in Potomac Falls, Virginia, recently ranked by Golf Digest as one of the nation’s best new private courses.
In addition to having many new players at this year’s tournament, we welcomed three first-time sponsors: Kipps DeSanto Investment Banking; the Popera, Overholt & Holland Group; and Old Dominion National Bank. We are also grateful to our generous returning sponsors: AOC Solutions; FEDAC Processing; CrossFit PR Star; the Harry & Zoe Poole Foundation; Insperity; Gombos-Leyton and Valley Forge Acquisition Corporation.
The Challenge at Trump National is YouthQuest’s premier annual event to raise funds for programs such as our 3D ThinkLink Initiative, which uses 3D design and printing as a vehicle for teaching at-risk youth valuable job skills and thinking skills. The program has earned us recognition as a semifinalist in this year’s Drucker Prize competition, which rewards innovation by nonprofits, and as a nominee for the 2017 Greater Washington Innovation Awards in the Public Service category.
Since 2012, YouthQuest has also been the prize money sponsor for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition. This year, we doubled our support for the contest, in which teens in Loudoun County, Virginia, identify problems in their community and implement projects to solve them.
At the post-tournament reception and awards ceremony, Loudoun Youth President and CEO Jared Melvin spoke about Step Up. Three first-place teams from recent years also were on hand to explain their projects to tournament guests. This year’s winners, Lina Alkarmi from Dominion High School and Shahlaley Nagra from Heritage High School, showcased their Princess Packages project, which lifts the spirits of young girls who are hospitalized. Students representing 2016 winner PASTA (Peers and Students Taking Action), explained how their group helps teens find opportunities to serve the community. And the young leaders of Charitable Act, the 2015 winner, promoted their nonprofit that provides summer theater camps for underprivileged children.
Also at the reception, YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann announced that FEDAC Vice President Tony Sanderson has been chosen as our 2018 Volunteer of the Year. She also congratulated this year’s Strategic Partner Award winner, Maryland-based 3D printer maker M3D, and the Community Partner Award winner, Maryland’s Harford Community College.
Silver Sponsor Kipps DeSanto was this year’s winning team in the scramble-format tournament with a score of 59. Team members Kevin DeSanto, Scott Green, Rich Holland and Jonathan Moneymaker played with Larry Brown, the former Washington Redskins running back.
Other VIP guest players were Redskins alumni Roy Jefferson, Carl Kammerer and Jerry Olsen, Air Force Col. Doug Hall, Loudoun Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Johnson, Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Chief Miguel Quijano, and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputies Joe Heydens and Kenny Tucker.
Edna Davis, YouthQuest’s 2015 Volunteer of the Year, served as the coordinator for our tournament volunteers.
Golf Entertainer Brad Denton was back this year, after missing the last tournament due to injury, to start the event with his always-amazing trick shot demonstration.
New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap, who volunteers his time and expertise to judge our essay contest in which 3D ThinkLink students compete for scholarships, was at the reception signing copies Scorpion Strike, the latest book in his Jonathan Grave thriller series.
We are also grateful to Jeff Mauritzen from inPhotograph.com for his tournament photography, Mercedes-Benz of Chantilly for providing the hole-in-one car, and Honor Brewing for serving cold beer to the thirsty golfers on a hot August day.
