The third annual A Swing of Grace golf outing brought in $100,000! The funds raised set a record for the event, surpassing its cumulative total from the first two years.

“This year’s event was really fantastic. The timing was smooth and kept a good pace. It was well organized and I especially enjoyed hearing from the young lady that spoke. To hear the difference Grace Place was making from one of the students herself was impactful. I will definitely be playing again next year,” remarked David Corban.

Touted as “its best year to date” by many of the attendees, the event held at Imperial Golf Club had maximum participation with 140 golfers. “I was blown away by the response this year. We were sold out weeks before the outing! This event is really becoming a must-do on many calendars around town. It’s exciting to see everyone pull together for such a great cause,” commented Dick Gast, A Swing of Grace Chair.

After the golfers returned from the greens, they were joined by additional dinner guests for the evening’s program, silent auction and strolling dinner. Program highlights included a performance from the Grace Place Children’s Chorus and a special address from high school AP Leader, Rachelle Majuste, who shared her struggle with reading and how, in large part due to Grace Place, she is now reading above grade level and graduating high school this spring among the top in her class. Rachelle invited the company to vote on her two college selections, Florida Atlantic University and Florida Gulf Coast University, guests voted to keep her close to home. We’ll have to stay tuned to see if she follows their wishes.

“The support from our corporate sponsors this year was affirming. We have managed to more than quadruple the sponsor dollars from the previous year. It is really a testament to the growing success of the event and the mission of our organization, which this event helps to fund,” stated Barbara Evans, Director of Development, Grace Place. Corporate sponsors included Conditioned Air, Fifth Third Bank, Key Private Bank, David Corban Architect, IBERIABANK, Waste Management and First National Bank of the Gulf Coast.