Golfers compete in Burlington tournament supporting children’s charities
The Vermont Agency Foundation’s “All Charity Golf Classic” brings golfers together to raise funds for charities of their choosing.
BURLINGTON, Vt. —
Golfers from across the Northeast will be in Burlington today for the Vermont Agency Foundation’s “All Charity Golf Classic,” a tournament that raises money for children’s charities.
The Vermont Agency Foundation, created by an investment firm more than 20 years ago, has hosted this event for years. The tournament features an 18-hole scramble at the Burlington Country Club, with the top three teams and one wildcard team advancing to a shootout for a chance to hit a million-dollar hole-in-one.
Each team selects the charity they want to support, creating a unique dynamic between golfers and the organizations they represent.
“One of the upsides of being able to play for whatever charity you want is that it’s not just the golfers who choose to play, it’s charities. They go recruit golfers too,” said William Hinman of the Vermont Agency Foundation.
The Ronald McDonald House of Vermont is one of the charities benefiting from the event.
“The money that they have raised for charities throughout the years, it’s just incredible,” said Kristine Bickford of the Ronald McDonald House of Vermont. “Whether it’s Ronald McDonald House or any other charity, it’s so needed.”
Over the past 20 years, the Vermont Agency Foundation has raised more than $1 million for charitable causes. Every charity involved in the event gets a minimum $500 donation, no matter how their team performs.
Today’s event at the Burlington Country Club is the final stop in this year’s tournament series, which also included events in Buffalo and Clifton Park, New York. The foundation is hoping to expand the event and add a fourth location in the near future.
“It’s a great way to bring everybody together and share that excitement, the joy, the support,” Bickford said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”