By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A local company is organizing a November golf tournament to raise money for the Rowan County United Way fundraising campaign.
Pyrotek Inc. is sponsoring the charity golf tournament Nov. 7 at McCanless Golf Course, 3515 Stokes Ferry Road, with proceeds going to the campaign.
The tournament format is captain’s choice with four-man teams and is open to the public.
The entry fee is $50 person. Hole sponsorship is $100 per hole and a sign will be placed on the green or tee box designating the company sponsor.
“It’s been a tough financial year for families and for businesses, and it makes it tough for people to give. We wanted to do something for fun in a way for people to give and get something in return,” said organizer Jonathan Goble.
Goble has been his company’s campaign liaison for the last three years.
Pyrotek’s campaign has grown in participation over the years, he said.
The first year, there was not a lot of participation, but that has changed.
“We’ve seen it help some of our employees,” Goble said.
One of the employees lost all of his possessions in a house fire. He was helped by the American Red Cross, a United Way member agency.
“It became personal for a lot of our employees. They’ve seen it at work,” he said.
Pyrotek gets its employees excited about each upcoming campaign by hosting a company cookout to kick off its fundraising.
The golf tournament will offer prizes for the longest drive, longest putt and shot closest to pin.
Goble asks companies or businesses to donate items that can be used for first-, second- and third-place prizes, a raffle and smaller door prizes.
Some examples of the things they’d like to raffle and give as prizes are folding camping chairs, grills, coolers, golf bags, key chains, T-shirts and golf towels.
In order for organizers to have a count of participants, players are asked to pre-register by Oct. 30, and any company that wants to be a sponsor is asked to respond by Wednesday so signs can be made to place on the greens.
Goble said if organizers are not able to get enough sponsors, they may have to use 10 to 20 percent of the tournament proceeds for that purpose, money that would otherwise go the United Way.
Pyrotek has been in Salisbury since 1997 when it bought NECO, a specialty aluminum business owned by the late James Neely, who was a Rowan County commissioner.
For more information about the tournament, contact Goble at 704-216-9159.