By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Aug. 27, 2002
The Meridian Speech and Hearing Center, in partnership with local Sertoma clubs, kicked off its "Birdies for Charity" fund-raising campaign on Monday.
Wimberly is also a member and past president of the Meridian Sertoma Club. Sertoma International is a community service organization dedicated to fighting communicative disorders.
Wimberly said the Meridian Speech and Hearing Center served 925 children this past year with more than 2,200 services from fitting children with hearing aids to screening and evaluating them for speech and hearing problems.
The Birdies for Charity program is sponsored by Century Club Charities in association with the Southern Farm Bureau Classic golf tournament. Century Club Charities, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the tournament, has given charities in the state a total of $1.9 million in the past 15 years.
It began the Birdies for Charity program last year to increase its giving.
Those participating in the program collect monetary pledges of 1 cent or more for every birdie made during the tournament, which is scheduled for Oct. 28-Nov. 3 at Annandale Golf Club in Madison.
A birdie is one stroke less than par on a particular hole on the golf course. Golfers made 1,675 birdies during the tournament last year, raising nearly $290,000 for charities including Hope Village for Children.
The home for abused and neglected children is participating in the program again this year and is organizing its campaign this week.
People who either pledge or give a donation to Meridian Speech and Hearing Center will be able to guess how many birdies will be made during the tournament. The person whose guess is closest to the actual number will win a 2003 Buick Rendezvous, valued at $40,000.
Wimberly also said the Meridian Speech and Hearing Center will hold drawings for tickets to the golf tournament. It will cost $2 to register for the drawings throughout September. The drawings are scheduled for Oct. 7.
The Southern Farm Bureau Classic is the only PGA Tour event in the state. The winner of the tournament receives $468,000, or 18 percent of the total $2.6 million purse this year.
The classic draws 80,000 to 100,000 spectators annually.