By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Invite a legendary college football coach to play a round of golf and you are likely to have a very good day. Have that coach invite a dozen of his NCAA Division I peers to play, too, and you are likely to raise a lot of money for your favorite non-profit.
That is exactly what happened in May for the second year in a row when the High Country Caregivers non-profit partnered with former Appalachian State head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Moore to host the “Coaches Golf Tournament” in May, at Blowing Rock Country Club.
HCC executive director Jacob Willis announced on July 18 that the event took in more than $180,000 thanks in no small measure to the celebrity coaches, sponsors and, of course, the golfers paying for the privilege.
“High Country Caregivers is dedicated to helping families navigate kinship care,” said Willis. “We are currently serving 313 children and 254 caregivers, which is double the number we were serving a few years ago.”
The families that take part in HCC programs receive no government aid and are often composed of single grandmothers raising multiple children and making decisions for their grandchildren. All proceeds from the tournament go towards HCC programs, including recreation & sports fees, dance & music lessons, legal fees, education, and family development.
“Our goal is to rise above the challenges and keep loved ones in a home with a family member,” Willis said. “It’s a better environment than the foster system. We are dedicated to keeping these families whole so grandparents can make responsible decisions for their grandchildren while providing them with care and support.”
In addition to Moore’s involvement, a big draw for the sold-out tournament was the participation of Scott Satterfield (App State, Louisville, Cincinnati); Mack Brown (University of North Carolina, Texas, App State); Sparky Woods (Richmond, UNC, Alabama, Memphis, Mississippi State); Paul Johnson (Georgia Southern, Navy, Georgia State); Shawn Clark (current head coach, Appalachian State); Dave Doeren (head coach, NC State, Northern Illinois); Clay Hendrix (head coach, Furman University); Oval Jaynes (Hall of Fame athletic director at Auburn, Colorado State, Pittsburgh, Idaho, Chattanooga, Jacksonville State, former head coach at Gardner Webb, and former offensive coordinator at Wake Forest and Wyoming, among others); Dustin Kerns (head basketball coach, Appalachian State); Trey Kavanaugh (former head coach, Cuthbertson High School and now App State assistant, quality control); and Lance Ware (former head coach, Shelby High School and current Senior Assistant to Head Coach, App State). Each of the coaches was paired with a golfing foursome.
Willis shared that the list of sponsors is very large. “We would be remiss if we didn’t mention every one of them and offer them a great big thank you,” he said. “We also want to thank Coach Jerry Moore and all the coaches and athletes that took part in the tournament, and our guests. We could not have done this without our sponsors, guests, and community partners.”
Sponsoring the event were The Kennedy-Herterich Foundation, Blowing Rock Country Club, Blowing Rock Brewery, Amorem, Chetola Resort, LifeStore Bank and R.W. Baird.
Platinum Sponsors:
Spangler Restoration, CSM Production, The Art Cellar, Domino’s Pizza, Farm Bureau – Agent Barry Crawford, Quality Electric – Brent Berry, Village Building and Investment Group, High Country 365/Journey Magazine, Thrivent, Bishop Real Estate, Amorem, Appnet, Baird, UBS, The Lodges at Eagles Nest, Peak Farms, Hollar and Greene, Lifestore, and Avery Knife Works.
Gold Sponsors
CDG Brands, J McLaughlin, Appalachian Healthcare, Holiday Inn Blowing Rock, and Alpha Lit.
Silver Sponsors
Penn Station, Carolina West Wireless, Wendy’s, Highland Landscape Supplies, Elk River Club, and Jared Munday Electric.
Table Sponsors
The Gilded Lily by Patra, Life Worth Living Counseling – Bonnie Perkins, Appalachian Dental Care, and Ron Cutlip.
“We also want to thank Coach Jerry Moore and all the coaches and athletes that took part in the tournament,” said Willis. “And our guests. We could not have done this without our sponsors, guests, and community partners.”
High Country Caregivers operates in Avery, Watauga, Ashe, Yancy, Mitchell, and Wilkes counties.
