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Employees at the Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight & Hearing held a putt-putt golf tournament to raise nearly $15,000 for this year's Play it by Ear campaign.
Seven teams (4-persons per team) competed in the tournament, which was held November 1 at the Alley 24 building in Seattle. The Foundation will be moving its offices and SightLife eye bank to this building early next year. In the meantime, the vacant space provided ample room for a rented putt-putt golf course.
This was a "pay to play" tournament with each team guaranteeing $750 to the Play it by Ear campaign as their tournament entry fee. Players then spent the month of October raising pledges from family and friends to cover the entry fee . . . and then some. Competition was keen as each team sought to claim the prize for highest contributor to the campaign. That honor went to the team captained by Foundation President Monty Montoya, which raised $4,700. Players on the top fundraising team each received a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. Teams led by Foundation Board Chairperson Diane Sabin ($2,662) and SightLife Vice President Bernie Iliakis ($2,080) finished second and third.
Less coveted but still highly-contested was the award for low net team score. In a twist on traditional scoring, teams answered hearing-related quiz questions at the beginning of each hole. Correct answers resulted in strokes deducted from a team's total score. Besides the quiz questions, blindfolds for all players on hole 7 and a mandatory one-legged stance for all players on hole 6 added challenge to the course. The teams led by captain Montoya and captain Iliakis tied for low net score. 
The award for that honor is a traveling "ear-drum" trophy that can't be adequately explained, but is now on display at the Foundation office.
Besides giving a healthy boost to the overall totals for this year's Play it by Ear campaign ($33,000 and rising as of Nov. 13), this tournament brought together staff for an evening of philanthropic fun. Thank you to Domino's "Last Chance Pizza" of Everett and Georgetown Brewing Company for their generous donations of pizza and beer to support the players.
Thank you also to Development Manager Jolene Bernhard and development staff members Jordan Gevers and Julia Kuhns for their leadership and hard work in organizing the tournament. "The success of this tournament started with the enthusiasm that Jolene, Jordan, and Julia put into organizing every detail," said Rob Vatter, Vice President of Development. "They made it fun and easy to participate, and their enthusiasm was definitely catching. This was a fun way to raise money for a great cause, and everybody's already looking forward to next year's tournament."
Funds from Play it by Ear support the Lions Hearing Aid Bank that provides life-changing hearing aids to men, women and children who can't afford them. Money raised in this campaign also supports operation of the Lions Health Screening Unit, Audient, and Lions Patient Care Grants for hearing-related challenges.
Missed Play it by Ear? You can still donate online!