143 Golfers, One Mission: Creating Possibilities

The St. Coletta’s of Illinois community came together in a big way Aug. 17, when 143 golfers — just one shy of the course’s maximum capacity of 144 — filled Crystal Tree Golf & Country Club in Orland Park for the 37th Annual Kennedy Golf Outing. The sold-out event raised more than $150,000 to support children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Hosted by the St. Coletta’s of Illinois Foundation, the annual outing brings together families, friends, businesses, donors and supporters for a day of golf, fellowship and fundraising. With nearly every spot on the course filled, organizers used a shamble format to accommodate the large field and allow as many members of the St. Coletta’s community as possible to participate.

The turnout reflected the strong commitment of the community to St. Coletta’s mission — and to creating opportunities for the people it serves.

Funds raised through the outing help support education, residential services, vocational training, behavioral health services and lifelong supports. More importantly, those dollars allow St. Coletta’s to respond when individuals and families face needs that extend beyond what state funding can provide.

“This year’s turnout was a wonderful reminder of how many people believe in the potential of the individuals we serve,” said St. Coletta’s CEO Heather Benedick. “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who filled the course, sponsored the event, made a donation or simply showed up to support our mission. Their generosity helps make life-changing opportunities possible for the children and adults of St. Coletta’s.”

One of the day’s most popular traditions was the annual “Beat the Nun” challenge featuring Sister Maryann Dosen. For a $25 donation, golfers had the chance to hit their shot closer to the pin than Sister Maryann, creating plenty of friendly competition — and raising thousands of additional dollars for St. Coletta’s.

Sister Maryann has become a favorite of the Kennedy Golf Outing and a beloved part of its fundraising tradition.

“Sister Maryann has a special way of bringing people together,” Benedick said. “She makes fundraising fun, but she also understands exactly why we are here. Every dollar raised helps us create more opportunities for the people we serve.”

Those dollars can make a difference in ways both big and small. While St. Coletta’s receives funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to provide essential services, fundraising makes it possible to meet needs that go beyond state funding and basic standards of care.

“Fundraising allows me to ease people’s pain, stress and anxiety,” Benedick said. “Recently, we had a family of a 7-year-old tell us they couldn’t send their child to school because they couldn’t afford insulin. They had no funding available to help them. St. Coletta’s stepped in and purchased the insulin so that child could return to school.”

In other cases, fundraising dollars have helped St. Coletta’s purchase wheelchairs, specialized equipment and other items that improve the daily lives of the people it serves.

“Everything you’re doing here today, every dollar that comes into the foundation, will be spent on one of these causes,” Benedick told golfers. “This organization is more than a job to me. Everything we do is very meaningful to me.”

The Kennedy Golf Outing would not be possible without the generosity of its sponsors and supporters.

St. Coletta’s extends its appreciation to Northern Trust, the event’s Champion Sponsor, for its partnership and generous support. Special thanks also go to Lexus of Orland and Lexus of Merrillville, sponsors of the Lexus Champions for Charity raffle, which added another exciting element to the day while raising additional funds for St. Coletta’s mission.

St. Coletta’s is also grateful to its returning sponsors, Town Center Bank, CIBC, Dealer FI, Society of the Divine Word Charitable Gift Annuity, CBIS and Wintrust for their continued commitment to the Kennedy Golf Outing and the people St. Coletta’s serves. A warm welcome and thank-you goes to new sponsors Citywide Building Maintenance and Heide Wealth Management, whose support helped make this year’s event possible.

“Your support provides critical services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Bill Rybak, Kennedy Golf Outing Chair. “We are incredibly thankful to everyone who helped make this year’s event such a tremendous success.”

With 143 golfers on the course, generous sponsors behind the event and supporters committed to its mission, the 37th Annual Kennedy Golf Outing demonstrated what can happen when a community comes together with a shared purpose. The more than $150,000 raised will help St. Coletta’s continue creating opportunities for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn, grow, build greater independence and achieve their greatest potential.

To learn more about St. Coletta’s of Illinois, its programs and services, or how you can support its mission, visit www.stcolettasofil.org or call 708-342-5200.