Each holiday season, Alvamar Golf Club in Lawrence, Kan, brainstorms ways to benefit its community—and this year, it came up with a new annual tradition.
“We have always done a Santa Cheer Brunch for our members and we got to thinking—we have all this food, and Santa Claus, so why not work with other organizations to invite families who are having a difficult time financially?” says Bryan Minnis, Director of Operations.
The result was Christmas at Crossgate (the club is on Crossgate Drive), which welcomed about 100 people for brunch, face-time with Santa, and gifts.
Working with local organizations like Family Promise and the Lawrence Community Shelter, the club took time to get to know the families they would help in advance, learning how many children they had and what they wanted for Christmas. Because of that planning, each child was called up individually to sit on Santa’s lap and receive a gift he or she had requested.
About 30 Alvamar members sponsored the event, funding not only the children’s presents but also grocery-store gift certificates for their parents and transportation for the families that needed it. The club asked for $100 per member, which was added to their January bills as a donation. The club incurred the upfront cost for about a month until the sponsorship dollars came in, Minnis says.
“Country clubs are in such a unique position because of the type of organization we are,” Minnis says. “We can reach people who are already blessed financially—people of means who have a heart for giving back.”
Next year, Minnis hopes to expand the event, noting that the Alvamar clubhouse can hold up to 300 people. “We think it’s such a worthwhile thing to do—the cost is actually very nominal, just food and our time,” he says. “It’s kind of a win-win.”
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