CASA Charity Golf Tournament in full swing

Aimee Daniels will pick up her clubs Saturday morning, head to the Allen County Country Club and play 18 holes of really bad golf.
“I mean, it’s bad,” she said, chuckling at her own misfortune.
It’s all in good fun though. She’s not trying to jump into the LPGA or post her record-breaking scorecard in the clubhouse lobby.
Daniels just wants to lend a helping hand.
The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) 10th Anniversary Charity Golf Tournament will raise funds for abused and neglected children in the 31st Judicial District of Kansas.
The tournament’s registration period begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and tee time starts at 9 a.m. at the country club off of U.S. 54.
Daniels, who has led the district as CASA’s director for the past seven years, said the tournament is one of the program’s largest fundraisers and hopes the trend continues this year.
“We had 19 teams last year … and raised $12,000, which was the most ever,” she said.
CASA does not receive state or federal funding, so events like the golf tournament on Saturday are important to the organization in order to stay afloat and continue to help the community’s children.
The donations, Daniels continued, will help recruit more advocates to help serve area children. In 2013, 139 children were helped by the local CASA program. One of CASA’s services is providing the children with volunteers to speak for them in court.
In 2014, that number grew to 212. But in the four-county area (Allen, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson), the program was able to recruit only 14 advocates, who are the direct aide to the children in court.
Daniels, an attorney, hopes to see the number of volunteers increase as a result of the tournament as the money will help pay for their travel expenses and annual training sessions.
The sponsors, which range from bronze level to presenting level, give the tournament legs by providing the necessary funds as well as players to participate.
This year, the tournament will be a four-person flighted scramble with the winning team earning cash prizes.
The registration is $50 per person or $200 for a team, and the entrance fee includes green fees, a cart as well as lunch.
In addition to golf, the tournament will include several other games, like spinning for a hole-in-one, clubhouse raffle and a chance to win mulligans.
As a result of all the fun and games, you will have a chance to make a difference in a child’s life here in Kansas.
“Those kids will spend less time in foster care, they will get the services they need more quickly and they will have a better outlook and less psychological problems,” Daniels said.
“And they get to go home sooner. Problems in the home get solved and the parents do what they need to do. And the CASA advocate is a part of all of that.”