By J. Alexander Mann

It’s hard to believe. But it’s been 10 years since the Paul D. Camp Community College Foundation held its first charity golf tournament. Led by former board member Charles Modlin, a few members got together and began the effort, which has now become a wonderful tradition for the foundation.

In the time since our first golf tournament was held, we’ve been able to raise thousands of dollars in support of students, faculty and other general needs of the college. I have played in more than seven of the tournaments, and I can tell you that it’s truly a great time to be had for a terrific cause.

The 10th annual tournament will be held at Cypress Creek Golfer’s Club in Smithfield next Friday. It’s a beautiful location, and I expect that all who play will have a grand time.

Our lead sponsor this year, and for the past several years, is Smithfield Foods. Tim Schellpeper, president of the Smithfield-Farmland Fresh Meat Group (formerly Smithfield Packing) is a member of our board and has been instrumental in our efforts with Smithfield Foods.

I’m proud that we have Tim and Larry Pope, CEO and president of Smithfield Foods, as such ardent supporters of the foundation. We are so fortunate to have them as part of our team.

In addition to Tim, we have a wonderful group of fellow foundation board members who ensure students have what they need to be successful. Without the support of former board members, current board members and friends of the college, we’d not be able to achieve the success we have.

This year’s charity tournament boasts a hole-in-one contest, which could net a whopping $50,000 prize. We also will have a putting contest, and participants will get a chance to win a $10,000 putting contest jackpot. In addition to those wonderful activities, we’ll have a ton of great raffle prizes.

One of the most exciting developments this year is the involvement and integration of students into the tournament. We will invite students to visit each foursome and learn key business principles that will help them in their future academic or career pursuits.

We also will involve our Presidential Student Ambassadors, who will be traveling around the course to meet and greet players and donors. It’s neat to involve students in the tournament; it brings home the key reason we’re holding it.

The work of the foundation’s board of directors is not done by just one person. It takes a team of dedicated individuals to build the programming, structure and focused efforts designed to raise money for college needs. They deserve a huge round of applause for all the work they do, and I’m so pleased that we have such a distinguished and robust team of folks to work with: Board members include vice president Herbert W. DeGroft, treasurer J.P. “Phil” Bain Jr., secretary and executive director Felicia Blow, immediate past president William “Billy” A. Gwaltney Jr., Dr. Dylan B. Belt, McLemore “Mac” Birdsong, Dr. L.D. Britt, Cass Camp, Michael Clark, college president Dr. Paul Conco, R. M. “Bob” Felts Jr., local College Board liaison June Fleming, Adam Goldblatt, Frank E. Hall, Dr. Alvin Harris, Jenny Hutto, Mark A. Johnson, Dr. Patsy Joyner, Robert H. Powell, Frederick “Fred” Quayle, Tim Schellpeper, Lynda Updike, Roseland Worrell, Philoron “Phil” A. Wright II and director emeritus Nancy Nagle-Bolio.

I thank them for all they do to support Paul D. Camp Community College and the foundation, for being stalwart in their commitment to ensuring the foundation continues to support the academic needs of the college and the community.

Consider joining us next Friday at Cypress Creek Golfer’s Club in Smithfield. Call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 569-6790 for information or visit www.pdc.edu.

J. Alexander “Sandy” Mann is President of the PDCCC Foundation.