SPOTLIGHT ON: Tammy Stover, Event Organizer
December 14, 2020
Our mission at the BCRFA is to help find a cure for breast cancer by funding promising breast cancer research in Alabama. This research is supported by individuals, corporate donors and of course – community groups.
One of these groups is the Riverchase Ladies Golf Association (RLGA) at Riverchase Country Club. Over the last three years, the group has held “Two Ladies and a Caddie,” a golf event which invites female golf duos to bid on male caddies as they play a round on the course. This year alone, the group raised over $16,000 for research!
Today we spoke with Tammy Stover, one of the organizers of the event, on what makes this event special and her recommendation for others who are considering hosting a breast cancer fundraiser.
Keep reading to learn more:
How did Two Ladies and a Caddie get started?
This event was one that existed about 10 years ago, when I was still a very new member of the club. We had a change in our golf pro and the event kind of faded away. Then, about three years ago as our ladies golf group grew, we decided to bring it back. It’s both a very fun event that people enjoy and also a great charity event.
At the start, we were donating the money to a different, national breast cancer organization. After so many of our members were personally affected, we decided to make the donation more local and teamed up with the BCRFA, and plan to continue supporting the BCRFA in the future.
Tell us about the event.
At the tournament, you’re paired with a partner. The golf pro then selects male caddies – young, old, anyone who wants to get involved and help raise money – and the teams of ladies bid on a caddie to go with them as they play.
Our caddies are easily the most popular part of this event. Some of them went for over $1,000! And the guys love it – they’re all wanting to be a caddie. This year, we raised almost $6,900 on the caddie bidding alone, not counting the mulligans and ribbons we sold, along with individual donations.
This year, we doubled the amount we were able to raise by reaching out through our members’ and their spouses’ professional networks. Some of these companies will match donations up to a certain amount – all you have to do is ask. By doing that, and making sure as many funds were being matched as possible, we were able to raise twice the amount without having to do any extra work.
And of course, we’ve also got a very loyal base at this event. Some of the ladies who couldn’t make it called over and said, “I can’t make it this year, but I want to donate what I would have contributed on bidding on a caddie.”
What’s the best part of putting on an event like this? What’s the most challenging part?
Well, the event is just a lot of fun – we really have a great time. Each team decorates their cart – a few of the carts are decorated with large pink boobs on the front – and the caddies all dress up to support the cause. Some teams have a theme, one of which this year was “Treasure the Chest,” and was a pirate themed cart and team members dressed the part as well. We do have a wide range of outfits, everything from pink attire to pink tutus. And the caddies are very competitive about being involved. They cater to all our needs when we’re out on the course, from cleaning our clubs, serving us beverages and they even get to hit a shot themselves. It’s all very fun.
The most challenging part is organizing everything. At the event, we typically have a meal and give out goody bags, and have to coordinate the details around all of that. But we have a great team. I couldn’t do it without the support of the RLGA members, as well as our golf pro John Carney. He gets just as excited about this event as we do. This year he was dressed all in pink, and had a new pair of pink and white saddle oxfords, personalized with the breast cancer ribbon.
Overall, it’s so rewarding. We find it very exciting that we’re able to collect so much money and donate to a great cause.
Why does your team believe in raising funds for breast cancer research?
We have several members who have had breast cancer, myself included, and one member has a niece diagnosed who was only 28 years old, and I can report recently had a clean two year scan. We feel that supporting the BCRFA helps us do our part in preventing and treating this terrible disease that seems to be more and more common.
A few years ago, someone in the group asked if we had considered swapping to a different cause the next year, and the response was an overwhelming no. We’re a women’s group and this is what we’re passionate about. This is what we do, and what we plan to continue doing.
What advice would you give to someone who’s considering creating their own event to support breast cancer research?
Try to put on the event as a group – get several people involved. Remember to make it a fun event, and remember why you’re doing it. Everyone knows someone who has had breast cancer. Know where those funds are going!
To learn more about hosting your own event, please visit our Fundraising Toolkit.
