Agents of Hope in the Face of Adversity
Agents of Hope in the Face of Adversity
ERA Team VP’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament Still a GO!
The 11th Annual Agents of Hope Golf Tournament to Defeat ALS is now underway – with a spin. Rather than the traditional single-day format that’s usually held at the Chautauqua Golf Club, this year’s virtual tournament runs from August 19th through September 20th. This way, the vital funds needed to help defeat ALS can still be raised while giving participants the option to create their own safe social distance.
“It was a tough call to go virtual this year,” said Bill Soffel, Tournament Founder and Owner/CEO of ERA Team VP Real Estate & Vacation Rentals. “The biggest change is rather than the focus being on one date at one golf course, our supporters can play the golf course of their choice at any time over the course of a month - and can play multiple rounds during that period.”
To date, the Agents of Hope tournament has raised over $150,000 help support the fight to defeat ALS. Soffel hopes that friends and colleagues from around the country, perhaps the world, will be able to participate with the new, virtual format.
HOW IT WORKS
Each round played requires a small donation to the ALS Association; players can track their ranking on the event website’s virtual leaderboard. One 18-hole round of individual stroke or team scramble play on any golf course in the US will do the job. If playing a 9-hole course, play the course twice for an 18-hole score. Better your score by playing multiple times. If submitting multiple scorecards, each additional scorecard will be a $5 donation fee.
Register and indicate the course you will be playing on at https://app.eventcaddy.com/events/11th-annual-agents-of-hope-tournament. You can submit your scorecard through the site, or by emailing hannah.raynor@teamvp.com. Once your scorecard is submitted, you will receive an official door prize.
PRIZES AND PAST TOURNAMENTS
The tournament is widely known as a local fan-favorite, offering exciting prize packages for winners and fun at each course pit stop for golfers. Cash prizes will be awarded to top Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Scramble Teams, as well as top Men’s and Women’s individual. Take note, however, you cannot use your scramble score toward an individual score.
According to Soffel, a few fun twists and turns were added this year to keep players coming back for more. “I don’t want to give too much away until winners are announced, but we’ve had a few folks donate a one-week stay at their vacation home. You’ll have to stay tuned to find out more!” he said. Anyone who makes the $30 donation fee, whether playing or not, will be entered in a prize raffle.
WHY ALS?
The effort behind Soffel’s drive and desire to start ERA’s Agents of Hope Golf Tournament is two-fold. On a national level, ERA Real Estate’s charity was MDA. Although Soffel also participates in that effort, his grandmother lost her battle to ALS in the late 80’s. Since MDA has an ALS division, Soffel said it seemed like the perfect fit to honor both MDA and ALSA.
“ALS is an absolutely devastating disease, and average life expectancy at diagnosis is between two and five years. With no known cure or treatment, it is critical that we raise awareness, and in turn, funding, to give hope to patients and families that are battling ALS,” Soffel said.
He continued, “Thankfully, since the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge raised over $100 million dollars, research budgets have significantly increased worldwide, and the pace of progress has been highly accelerated. A number of promising trials are underway, but it’s still a long road ahead. We need to continue to do everything we can to bring these efforts across the finish line.”
For questions, comments, and more info, check out the event on Facebook hosted by ERA Team VP Real Estate & Vacation Rentals. You can also email Hannah Raynor at hannah.raynor@teamvp.com, or call 716-499-3857.