Golf Classic to Raise Money for Youth Center

Saturday, February 17, 2007

By AMBER CRAIG

GAUTIER -- This year's Jolly McCarty Memorial Golf Classic will raise money for a future teen center in Gautier that is supposed to bring several area youth groups together under one roof.

At a press conference Friday morning, Bacot/McCarty Foundation Executive Director Todd Trenchard announced details about the annual fund-raiser for the nonprofit foundation, which focuses its efforts on helping youth organizations.

Trenchard said he does not have many details yet, but he is discussing options with the Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, Youth For Christ and other organizations.

"The Jolly," held annually at Shell Landing Golf Course in Gautier, will take place May 5.

Trenchard said he thought long about what the community's youth needed and decided that a centralized building could reach more youths than the individual organizations working separately. "It's not about golf," Trenchard said. "It's about awareness of needs in the community and seeing how we can meet those needs." Trenchard said the game sets the fund-raising pace for the rest of the year, and donations roll in to the foundation because of the advertising surrounding the event.

Jolly McCarty, who died August 2005, was an active member of civic, economic and charitable organizations, and friends and family said he loved to give his time and money to others. "To be a part of this is very, very special to me," McCarty's son Lance McCarty said. "I do try to be like him, but it's hard. He was a good man."

McCarty's widow, Evelyn McCarty, thanked the sponsors for their hard work for the tournament that continues the kind of work he did throughout his life. "You give up time you could spend with your family, and the foundation appreciates it," she said.

Clerk of Court Joe Martin was named this year's tournament golf committee chairman and was given the first event cap and golf shirt.

Major sponsors include Merchants & Marine Bank, Isle of Capri Casino Resort, Fletcher Construction and Rex Distributing. It is limited to 250 golfers, and the tournament sold out within 72 hours last year, Trenchard said. Trenchard also announced that NFL players Shane Matthews and Terrell Buckley, graduates of Pascagoula High School, will return to help raise money for the event. Sports memorabilia will be sold at a silent auction and reception hosted by Isle of Capri Casino and held at Shell Landing May 4.

Last year's tournament raised more than $110,000 for the Bacot/McCarty Foundation, Trenchard said.

Reporter Amber Craig can be reached at acraig@themississippipress.com or (228) 934-1428.