March 2025
Tournament Talk Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/88c0bf42458d/tournament-talk-may2021-18042786
Register today to volunteer for the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship!
www.nogcf.org/volunteercentral
A Message from your EVCs
Kim Nixon and Erin Lehaney
Uniform Pick Up Dates
Look out for an email from Danielle to register for your time through Sign Up Genius.
Thursday, May 8 from 5:00-8:00pm
Saturday, May 17 from 8:00am-12:00pm
First Year Training
First-Year Volunteer Training is back by popular demand! We look forward to welcoming our first-year (and anyone else who would like to join us) on a Kaulig Companies Championship tour and brief volunteer training. We will take you throughout the course and give you the ins and outs of a day in the life of a Kaulig Companies Championship volunteer. We can’t wait to see you on June 14 from 1-3 pm. Details will be provided in late May.
Volunteer Happy Hour
Appetizers provided by NOGCF.
Come and celebrate spring with your fellow volunteers!
Wednesday, April 9
5:30 pm
The Basement on Waterloo Road
NOGCF Membership
Become an inaugural member of Northern Ohio Golf Charities & Foundation with a $15 monthly donation and receive the following benefits:
* Volunteer registration fee for the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship included.
* Receive signage on the course at the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship.
* Receive an exclusive NOGC&F member pin.
* Invitation to an exclusive VIP Member party.
Learn More (https://www.nogcf.org/membership)
Charity Spotlight
100 Women Strong - Ohio
100 Women Strong Ohio (https://www.100womenstrongohio.org/) is a philanthropic network of women dedicated to making a collective impact through charitable giving. By pooling their resources, members support nonprofit organizations across Ohio, fostering meaningful change in their communities. The group empowers women to engage in strategic philanthropy while strengthening local initiatives.
North Hill CDC
North Hill CDC (https://northhillcdc.org/) is a community-driven organization dedicated to fostering economic development, cultural vibrancy, and neighborhood revitalization in Akron’s North Hill. Through collaborative initiatives, they support local businesses, create affordable housing, and celebrate the area’s diverse communities. Their mission is to build a thriving, inclusive neighborhood where residents and businesses can flourish.
Crystal Clinic
Golf is a favorite sport and pastime among many. However, the torque and force applied across the lower back creates a significant risk for developing or worsening lower back pain. People who suffer from chronic or recurrent episodes of low back pain can be frustrated because the pain hinders their ability to play golf.
Indeed, many people suffer unnecessarily for decades due to a spinal injury or disorder that affects their quality of life. At Crystal Clinic, our spine specialists expertly treat spinal and neck conditions, helping people get back to the active lifestyle they enjoy!
Crystal Clinic’s Spine services offer a uniquely comprehensive approach that gets to the root of your pain. Our spine physicians provide care for a wide range of problems such as degenerative disk disease, herniated disks, sciatica, scoliosis, and spinal stenosis.
It is important to take a comprehensive approach to care – to get to the root of the pain, which may or may not be originating in the spine. Our spine physicians work closely with other Crystal Clinic orthopedic specialists to help diagnose problematic hip and knee issues that may be the true source of a patient’s pain or condition.
If spinal surgery is necessary, we perform minimally invasive techniques whenever possible to promote a faster recovery. We are pioneers in the use of a robotic guidance system for spine surgery, which helps develop a customized surgical plan for each patient. During procedures, the robotic guidance system tracks the position of surgical instruments and implants to ensure extreme precision and accuracy in implant placement.
You can trust Crystal Clinic to care for your spine. Crystal Clinic’s expertise is among the best, and in 2025 we earned the CareChex #1 in Orthopedic Surgery ranking for Surgical Care, Spinal Fusion, and Spinal Surgery, as well as Joint Replacement and Major Orthopedic Surgery. Healthgrades recently unveiled its 2025 list of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Specialty Care. For the sixth year in a row, Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center was named “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery” – one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation for spine surgery, and recognized for superior clinical outcomes in back and neck surgeries and spinal fusion.
If you are experiencing back or neck pain, an evaluation is the first step toward getting your life back. For a personal consultation with one of our spine and neck specialists, call 888-556-7575 or visit CrystalClinic.com to learn more about our physicians. Let us help you get your life back in full swing!
Volunteers Needed
In addition to serving in your current committee role, we have additional Tournament committees that need your help!
VIP Transportation
Volunteers are scheduled in four-hour shifts before and after the Tournament to assist with driving courtesy vehicles. Drivers must be between ages 25-75.
Volunteers will drive to Cleveland and/or Akron-Canton airports to pick-up TOUR players. You will drive them to Firestone Country Club to register and pick-up their courtesy vehicle. We have morning, afternoon and evening shifts and volunteers will receive snacks and meals during their shift.
Roping and Staking
Ever wonder what it takes to set up for a world class Tournament? Now is your opportunity to find out! We are looking for volunteers to help with course set up the weekend before the Tournament.
Various roles will include pounding stakes on the course along the holes and walkways to separate player and guest areas, running rope along the stake lines, hanging mesh on fences, moving picnic tables onto the course, setting up barricade in the players parking lot, etc.
With this work being prior to the Tournament, you do not need to be a registered volunteer to help. Invite your friends, neighbors or older children who are not able to volunteer during Tournament week. This is a great way to introduce them to the Tournament!
Note: This is labor work. It will involve climbing ladders, squatting, pounding/hammering, lifting in excess of 15+ pounds. All volunteers that help with roping and staking will be provided a meal!
If interested in helping either committee, please contact Danielle (danielle@nogcf.org (mailto:danielle@nogcf.org) ) for more information!
Northern Ohio Golf Charities & Foundation Golf Classic
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Raintree Golf & Event Center
Register today!
https://www.nogcf.org/nogcfgolfclassic
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Each month NOGCF will provide you with additional volunteer opportunities in our community. Each organization receives funding from NOGCF and is a tremendous resource in our community.
Ben Curtis Family Foundation
Looking for ways to make a difference in your community? The Ben Curtis Family Foundation offers several opportunities to get involved and help children facing food insecurity.
* Pack Birdie Bags – Join us to assemble bags filled with food and essentials for children in need.
* A Very Merry Dinner – Help bring holiday joy by volunteering for our Christmas program, where we provide meals and gifts to local families.
* Attend an Event – Support our mission by participating in The Ben Curtis Golf Classic, our biggest annual fundraiser, or one of our other exciting events throughout the year.
Have another idea for how you’d like to contribute? We love getting creative with our supporters! Reach out to us—we’d love to find a way for you to be part of the impact.
Join on the Volunteer Hub! (https://bcff.volunteerhub.com/vv2/#_=_ https://www.bencurtisfoundation.org/how-to-help/volunteer/ )
MedWish
As part of the merged MedWish Medworks, volunteers now contribute to local and global humanitarian aid by sorting and packing medical supplies and community health by assisting at free dental, medical, and vision clinics. This unique opportunity allows volunteers to experience the behind-the-scenes logistics and hands-on patient care.
Supply sorting at the MedWish Medworks Warehouse does not require any previous medical training or experience. You will be actively sorting and packing medical supplies that would otherwise end up in our local landfills. Your volunteer efforts allow us to efficiently maintain our inventory to provide humanitarian aid to people in need.
Register online! (https://medwish.galaxydigital.com/ )
Player Spotlight
Steve Stricker is a two-time Kaulig Companies Championship winner (2021, 2023) at Firestone Country Club and a seven-time senior major winner on PGA TOUR Champions. With his most recent victory win (2024 Sanford International) Stricker secured his 18th career PGA TOUR Champions win, moving into the top 15 in career victories on the Champions Tour. In 2023, Stricker recorded one of the best seasons in PGA TOUR Champions history, winning six times in 16 starts, including three senior major championships, while setting a single-season stroke average record and establishing a new single-season record for money earned on PGA TOUR Champions.
Stricker holds 12 career PGA TOUR titles, including winning the John Deere Classic three consecutive years (2009-11). He was named the PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007. He has also been a pivotal member of U.S. Ryder Cup teams, both in a playing and non-playing role. In 2019, Stricker captained the U.S. team to a historic 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits in his home state of Wisconsin. As a player, he competed on three Ryder Cup teams (2008, 2010, 2012) and he has served as vice captain on five occasions. Stricker has also competed in five Presidents Cups, captained the 2017 U.S. Presidents Cup team to a 19-11 victory and served as captain’s assistant three times.
Off the course, Stricker founded the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation with his wife, Nicki, supporting local charities, youth programs, and healthcare initiatives, with a focus on improving the lives of children and families in Wisconsin. In 2012, Stricker received the Payne Stewart Award, given annually by the PGA TOUR to the player “values align with the character, charity and sportsmanship that Stewart showed.”
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Calendar of Events
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March 6: Volunteer Recruitment Breakfast
May 8: Volunteer Uniform Pickup, 5-8 pm
May 17: Volunteer Uniform Pickup, 8 am -12 pm
June 12: NOGC&F Member Cocktail Party, 5:30-7:30 pm
June 14: First Year Volunteer Training, 1 pm to 3 pm
June 18-22: Kaulig Companies Championship