Following the morning round of the May golf tournament being cancelled when record-breaking rainfall swamped the course, Brookshire Brothers’ vendor partners returned to Lufkin’s Crown Colony Country Club on Monday to tee it up for charity. Since 2008, the Brookshire Brothers Charitable Foundation (BBCF) Golf Tournament has raised more than $1 million that has been returned to nonprofits and education foundations across the grocer’s market area.
On Monday, 236 golfers gathered at Crown Colony for two tournaments in one day. Fifty-nine teams hit the links in the name of giving back. Category buyers, executives and store directors played side by side with representatives from companies they do business with.
This year, Joe Loving of Loving Auto Group added a new element to the tourney. Loving, a strong supporter of area nonprofits, donated a 2016 Toyota Tundra 4WD to the first golfer who made a hole in one on hole 17. Players also had a chance to tee it up for prizes if they made a hole in one on any of the course’s par-three holes. While there were some close calls for the Toyota hole in one, no one walked away with the keys.
Representatives from some of the recipient organizations also were “on the course,” serving as hole sitters on 17 where they were able to thank the golfers for their support and explain how the funds they contributed furthered their mission. This year’s tournament featured representatives from the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, Harold’s House, The Joseph House, The Junior League of Lufkin, Junior Achievement, Lufkin State Supported Living Center, Mosaic Center and CASA.
The tournament also provided a boost in business with hotel stays, fuel and restaurants. Vendors and sales representatives came to Lufkin from all over the country to play. Crown ran two tournaments on the same day, optimizing the course and the fundraising opportunities for the foundation. The BBCF tourney is well thought of on the charity circuit for its great golf course, deserving causes and warm hospitality.
“It’s one of the best tournaments I participate in,” said Todd Smith, Millennium packing manager. “It’s organized. There is good fellowship, good weather, all for a good cause. What’s not to like?”
Brookshire Brothers operates stores in Texas and Louisiana; it is 100 percent employee owned.
