Golf outing nets funds for Red Cross

It was fun for a good cause Monday afternoon as student golfers gathered at Houndslake Country Club for the Aiken County Chapter of the American Red Cross' third annual Heroes Golf Outing.

Nine golf teams from Augusta to Williston participated in the event which raises money for Aiken Red Cross, according to Don Cheeks, a board member for the organization.

"The afternoon has been excellent; we had a great turnout, and there has been some beautiful weather," said Cheeks.

Suzanne Jackson, executive director of the Aiken Red Cross, said the money goes to support local disaster relief efforts.

"The money is being raised by the community for the community," she said.

Earlier this month, Aiken Red Cross kicked off its Heroes campaign, a major fundraiser for the organization.

To be considered a "hero," you must raise $1,000 for Red Cross. The money can be raised a variety of ways, through personal or business contributions or through fundraisers such as with car washes or bake sales.

One of the sponsors of the golf outing, Fluor Daniel, presented the group with a $7,500 donation at the event.

Tony Umek, an official with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions - a partner with Fluor Daniel, said the company is proud to support the Aiken County Red Cross.

"Red Cross is an agency that provides support without question to people that need it," he said. "There are a number of disasters that come unannounced each year, and this agency steps forward to help."

Jackson said locally, the most common disaster Red Cross officials respond to are single family fires. Last year, local Red Cross officials responded to 82 such incidents in Aiken and Edgefield, according to Jackson.

She said Aiken County Red Cross representatives were able to provide food and temporary shelter to 284 fire victims in 2008.

"Our goal is to reach disaster victims immediately so they have a place to go and an opportunity to start long-term planning," said Jackson.

Jackson said donations to the Red Cross are more welcome than ever now, with the nation's current economic state.

"We're not immune to the economic environment, and we're very much in need of donations," said Jackson.

She said the organization is approaching the time of year when the likelihood of disasters such as tornadoes, severe storms and hurricanes is high, which is why funding is so critical.

"Our motto is we want to prepare, prevent and respond to emergencies," she said.

To learn more or to make a donation to the 2009 Heroes Campaign, call the chapter office at 641-4152.

Contact April Bailey at abailey@aikenstandard.com.