Young Life golf proceeds will help mentor area teenagers

Over the past two years, COVID-19 has taken a toll in just about every way possible, and Young Life of Tuscarawas & Holmes Counties is no stranger to those effects.

As an organization with adults serving as mentors to teens in high school in Tuscarawas and Holmes, the need for interaction is critical for the growth of relationships within the program.

While COVID may have slowed that process down, Young Life’s mentors remain committed to encouraging, supporting and growing relationships with young teens.

“The past two years have been a challenge, and we are focused on getting kids back in the groove of experiencing the support of our mentors,” said Angie Tango, event coordinator for Young Life’s upcoming golf outing. “We haven’t done a lot since COVID hit, and those kids who are seniors now missed a lot of the experience. But we are excited about getting back to where we were pre-COVID and continuing to build relationships with the kids. That is such a big part of what Young Life does, and we are constantly trying to create new ways to make connections.”

As a way of supporting the effort, Young Life will host its annual golf scramble on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Black Gold Golf Course near Sugarcreek. The event will include 18 holes of four-person scramble golf, doughnuts and coffee in the morning, lunch following the golf, door prizes, proximity prizes and more. There also will be some entertaining challenges during and after the outing, and each team’s entry fee includes the price of skins. The entry cost per team is $500.

The meal will include pulled pork, cheesy potatoes, green beans and dessert, and there will be a pop and water cart available throughout the day, along with a hot dog at the turn.

Registration for the event will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start tee time at 8:30 a.m.

As for the Young Life effort, Tango said many of today’s young people can often feel like they are alone when it comes to the challenges life is throwing at teens today.

“Helping young people through life’s struggles and celebrating their accomplishments is the goal of Young Life,” Tango said. “It’s about building relationships with area teens, and often it is simply about being a friend or an encourager.”

Some of that includes showing up at sporting events, music concerts or other educational functions involving the teens. Tango said everyone is thrilled things have reopened following COVID and they can now attend events full force. She said any time a mentor shows up, they aren’t meant to replace a parent, but rather are an additional support for each student.

“There are times when kids just need extra support or encouragement, or they know someone is there rooting for them,” Tango said. “That support means a lot, and it is going to take another year for us to get fully back on track with where we were before COVID.”

While inviting golfers to participate is the goal, Young Life continues to seek hole sponsorships for the event and volunteers to help during the event.

Tango said there also are opportunities for anyone interested in helping the organization as a volunteer, from becoming a mentor to behind-the-scenes efforts like writing thank-you cards or encouraging notes.

“There are a lot of ways people can get involved and make a positive impact, and we would love to hear from anyone who has a heart for the young people,” Tango said.

Anyone wishing to volunteer with Young Life may call Young Life Director Heidi Troyer at 330-204-4455.

If a person doesn’t golf but would still like to contribute to the cause, they may do so by becoming a sponsor for the event. While they have sponsorship levels of $1,000, $750, $500 and $250, Tango said they realize not everyone can afford those amounts.

“We would be honored to accept any size donation because it all goes to benefit the kids, so if people want to give $215, $50 or whatever they are comfortable with, we would gladly accept,” Tango said.

Anyone wishing to register a team or become a sponsor member may call Tango at 330-432-1899 or email angela.tango@tangoandgatti.com.

Checks may be made payable to Young Life OH27 and sent to Young Life Golf Outing, 214 Parkhill Drive NE, Sugarcreek, OH 44654.

To learn more about Young Life, visit www.younglife.org.