BIG News: BBSVC’S Biggest
Golf Classic in 45 Years!

On Monday, May 7th, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC) held
its most successful Golf Classic since the first tournament in 1973, by grossing
over $250,000. The Golf Classic is already BBSVC’s top-performing signature
event; it delivers the resources necessary to support 1,500 youth facing adversity
in Ventura County by creating lifelong friendships through one-to-one-mentoring.
This year’s Golf Classic was presented by Select Staffing, which returned
as title sponsor and celebrated 17 years of support for the event. Former Los
Angeles Rams Quarterback, Vince Ferragamo, returned for his second year as
host and keynote speaker. Says Ferragamo, “The day was beautiful, the course
played great. We played as if we were the only group on the course despite us
having a field full of golfers; the volunteers and staff were very hospitable. It was
fun, and we raised a lot of money [for the cause].”

In addition to being a transformational year for the BBSVC Golf Classic, it
was also able to mark itself as the first charity event at the newly reinvented
Saticoy Club. “As the first tournament under the club’s new ownership, we were
impressed with the plans they have for the future,” says BBSVC CEO, Lynne
West. “The new owners of The Saticoy Club and the entire staff – many of whom
have been friends of BBSVC for many years – helped to make it the wonderful
experience enjoyed by all. It’s no surprise that our guests were telling us that 2018
was their favorite Golf Classic yet!”

Other new surprises for the day included guest access to the Travis Mathew
Experience – an opportunity for golfers to select their own brand merchandise
as a gift from BBSVC. Big Brother Aaron Kirby and Little Brother Elijah were
recognized as Big & Little Match of the Year, and were celebrated all day. In the
evening, an announcement was made that two anonymous donors offered a
combined $15,000 donation to be matched, dollar for dollar. Thanks to the
generosity of those in attendance, that goal was reached for a total of $30,000!
The funds raised from 2018’s tournament will focus on support for program youth
who were traumatized by the impact of the Thomas Fire. In addition to directly
working with each family, BBSVC has been taking on the task of ensuring that all
of the Bigs in its mentoring program are trained to have better awareness of early
childhood trauma, becoming a better resource for their mentees during the healing
process, and beyond.

BBSVC would like to thank Select Staffing, event chairs Kathy Sottile and Alex
Olsen, the event committee, Mike Van der Goes and his team at The Saticoy Club,
and the many sponsors and guests who help shape BBSVC’s Golf Classic to be
bigger and better each year. Says West, “We’re excited to celebrate the positive
impact our friends and community partners make by building a more exciting Golf
Classic event each year. Save the date for next year’s tournament!”

To learn more, contact BBSVC!
Rene Solem- Director of External Affairs- rsolem@bbsvc.org
805.484.2282 ex 118

The BBSVC Golf Classic Volunteers

Marlene “Toots” Lowe
The Women’s Auxiliary