Co-chairs of the 25th Damariscotta Newcastle Lions & Rotary golf tournament, Robert Clifford (left) and Donald Cameron open the event with a few brief remarks at the Wawenock Golf Club in South Bristol, Saturday, July 30. The annual event is joint fundraiser for both organizations. (Alec Welsh photo)
The 25th annual Damariscotta-Newcastle Lions & Rotary Golf Tournament teed off Saturday morning, July 30, at the Wawenock Golf Course in South Bristol. Forty-eight golfers participated in the invitational tournament which is a joint fundraiser for the two local clubs.
The two groups collaborate organizing the tournament and evenly divide the proceeds after expenses. According to Rotarian and tournament co-chair Don Cameron, this year organizers expect to raise more than $11,000 before costs.
Cameron said the sponsor support for the tournament insured another successful fundraiser.
“It was fantastic because of the generous sponsors,” Cameron said. “As they have every year, they are the people that come through for us and this year it was particularly satisfying with all the COVID problems they have had.”
The Rotary Club will use their portion to support local food pantries and education. “Food insecurity is a big one we donate to,” Cameron said. “We donate to food pantries that provide statewide support.”
The club will use some of the funds to create grants to give directly to individuals looking to pursue college or trade schools. “We use to provide scholarships, but those didn’t go to individuals looking at trade schools,” Cameron said.
The club will also provide smaller donations to Waldoboro emergency medical services and disabled veterans groups.
The Lions Club will use their portion of the proceeds to support the club’s sight and hearing foundation. According to Mark Potter, a former district governor for the Lions Club, the club’s longstanding drive to combat blindness and deafness comes from a challenge issued by Helen Keller.
“She challenged us to be ‘knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness’ and we accepted the challenge,” Potter said.
The Lions and Rotary golf tournament was first started in 1998 by Lions Club member Robert Clifford and Rotary Club member Peter Powell “I noticed we were having the same tournament and thought it would be more effective if we brought it together,” Clifford said.
Clifford was co-chair of this year’s event for the Lions Club and has participated in every single tournament to date.
The Damariscotta Lions Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the months at the Mobius Center, 319 Main St., Damariscotta. More information about the club can be found on the club’s Facebook page.
The Rotary Club of Damariscotta-Newcastle meets the first, third, and fifth Tuesdays of the month via Zoom, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. More information about the club can be found at dnmrotary.org.
