by Steve Bradley
The ninth annual EC Golf Scramble will be held Saturday, August 16, at the Hoosick Falls Country Club. This event is a benefit to support youth participation in sports activities in the Town of Hoosick.
Over the past eight years, the EC Fund has raised over $50,000. The Fund supports children in the community who need financial assistance to participate in a youth sport activity. The support is given anonymously. An “application” for support is a letter from the child to a member of the Carknard family with a brief description of what the child wants to do. They define youth as being in elementary or high school.
Ed Carknard (EC) died in December 2003 at age 47 following a brief battle with progressive colon cancer. Carknard’s family wanted to come up with a fitting way to memorialize him, thus the EC Golf Scramble. He enjoyed all sports and especially, in his adult years, the “game” of golf.
Last year the EC Fund raised just over $7,000 due to the generosity of the businesses and individuals that sponsored holes, donated prizes and participated. This generosity allows the EC Fund to defer many of the costs associated with the fundraising event.
The support for a youth can be in the form of entry fees, equipment costs, etc. that are required for a sport. A youth may excel in a sport and need financial assistance to attend a camp dedicated to improving his or her ability in that sport. Or it may be as simple as purchasing a pair of sneakers or cleats. The EC Fund steps in to help.
Family and local volunteers provide all the administration and organization of the event, allowing all proceeds to go directly to the Fund. Each year T-shirts are sold, with sales proceeds given to a local individual who is currently battling cancer. There is a 50/50 raffle and a Chinese auction all day.
