Karen Baston and Chad Copper, MD, co-chairs of the 28th Annual Medical Center Open Golf Tournament, announced that the tournament raised a record-breaking $340,000 for construction of The Hub, a student success center for all Gainesville City and Hall County students and their families. The Hub will be built at Gainesville High School and will provide students with resources for academic and workforce development as well as mental and behavioral health services.
The Hub will provide a variety of free support services that can help students reach their full potential through health and development opportunities. In addition to these resources, the center will also serve as a place where students’ basic needs can be met, including a food pantry and clothing closet.
“Each year we are blown away by the philanthropic support our community shows through participation in the Medical Center Open, and this year is no exception,” said Chris Bray, president and chief development officer for the Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation. “The Hub will provide many students with the resources they need to succeed, and we look forward to seeing it come to life.”
The Hub also plans to collaborate with community agencies to host workshops, classes and other events to help students and their families with a variety of issues, creating readily-available resources in a central location.
“We could not be more grateful to all of the participants of the Medical Center Open and to the Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation for making The Hub this year’s beneficiary,” said Tonya Sanders, director of The Hub. “We know this success center will touch countless lives and have a positive ripple effect on our community as a whole.”
Since 1997, the Medical Center Open has raised more than $4.4 million to support community health improvement initiatives. In addition to the fundraising efforts of the Open, it was a great day for golf at Chicopee Woods Golf Course. This year’s top prize, the Woody Stewart Trophy, was awarded to Brian Bosivert, Sam Hulsey, Casey Many and Mark Montgomery with the low gross score of the day.
The Medical Center Open was supported by premier sponsor Bank of America Merrill Lynch and 19th Hole Reception sponsor McGarity’s Business Products and HON. This year’s tournament featured several raffles, more than 80 sponsors, more than 200 players and 100 volunteers.