Campus & Community

The Palm Beach College Foundation will host its annual Golf Classic at the BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens on Friday, April 29. The deadline to register to play is April 26.

The tournament is themed “When you Play, Students Win” and is one of the Foundation’s premier corporate fundraising events. Proceeds will support the Foundation’s STEAM initiative to help meet the growing need for local, skilled professionals in science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

“The golf tournament is not just a great opportunity for the business community to engage with the College, it’s a fun way to network and support our students entering STEAM fields,” said Palm Beach State President Ava L. Parker, J.D. “We all have a stake in ensuring that these students can successfully complete their studies and achieve their educational goals.”

The Classic will be a best-ball format, featuring contests during tournament play, including hole-in-one competitions sponsored by Mullinax Ford. The top hole-in-one prizes are a Ford Mustang and a Ford Escape. Prizes also will be awarded for the longest drive, straightest drive and closest to the pin. Golfers can also participate in a new ball launching contest this year.

Sponsorship opportunities, including a golf foursome, begin at $2,000; individual golfers can register in advance to play in the tournament for $375.

The tournament’s shotgun start is at 12:30 p.m., and the awards reception begins at 6 p.m. or immediately after play.

“We are honored to partner with Palm Beach State College and want to help the institution make STEAM education a top priority,” said JC Laucirica, director of higher education at Pro Sound & Video in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. “A strong workforce is key to the success of our nation’s future economic growth. We want to consider the effects the classroom environment will have within the learning process and provide the technology that will engage the students in a collaborative and cooperative setting.”

A raffle and online auction also will be held as part of the fundraising efforts. New this year, the winners of the raffle drawing take home two prizes instead of one. First prize will be twin Dell tablets, second is two Apple watches, and the third is a pair of bracelets. Tickets for the raffle are $20 each or seven for $100. The raffle is open to the community, and participants need not be present to win. The online auction prizes include a round of golf for four at The Falls Club, a Salt the Spa package, four tickets to Rapids Water Park, a simulated diamond bracelet and more.

Major sponsors of the Golf Classic are: Balfour Beatty Construction, Dell Computer Company, Fastrack MCI, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Pro Sound & Video, PepsiCo, Suntrust Foundation and McDonalds North County Group.

To date, the STEAM initiative has raised $2 million, and it has created 623 new student scholarships, created 65 new student internships, established 55 new business partnerships and enhanced 66 programs.

For more information on the Palm Beach State Foundation Golf Classic and to register for the Golf Classic or order raffle tickets, call 561-868-3450 or visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/Foundation/Golf