SALISBURY — Livingstone College has a few upgrades for its athletics facilities on the agenda, and a golf tournament next week will help make some of them a reality.

Livingstone Athletic Director Lamonte Massie-Sampson said the tournament to be hosted at Salisbury Country Club on July 30 has already been a success for the college. It has raised about $50,000 so far, more than halfway to the $75,000 goal and well past breaking even.

The department decided this would be a good time to hold a fundraiser. Pandemic restrictions are at a low point and golf is an inherently COVID-19-safe sport that can be enjoyed spread out in large, open areas.

The shootout format tournament has a few-dozen people signed up with plenty of spots to spare and about $44,000 in sponsorships. Livingstone President Jimmy Jenkins will have a team. Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander and Mayor Pro Tem Al Heggins are participating as well.

“People should come out,” Massie-Sampson said. “Win some prizes, walk away with some cash or just have a great experience.”

This is part of a larger community development effort at Livingstone. Pete Teague, a special assistant to the president, is also working on the project with the goal to help make it bigger and better after it is established.

Massie-Sampson said this is the first fundraiser tournament the college has held in a few years. He hopes to make it an annual affair to make a specific project within the athletics department a reality. He said this year the college is looking to add touchless ticketing at games, upgrade its weight room and build a small-frame structure for storing equipment at Livingstone’s stadium.

“There are a number of small projects that have a major impact,” Massie-Sampson said, adding the college has older facilities it needs to put extra work into as it upgrades them.

Massie-Sampson said it can be hard to get an individual to donate the funds for for an upgrade, but getting small contributions through a format like a tournament adds up. The improvements will pay for themselves in the long run as well.

“When you’re able to put up a storage facility, the life of your equipment is longer and we don’t have to repurchase,” he said.

The department is appealing to athletics alumni to be a part of making its facilities better as well. Massie-Sampson said the college wants to show alumni how it is making improvements on the same facilities they used.

“We communicate with them and let them know they have a major impact,” Massie-Sampson said. “When they’re proud, they’re more apt to give because they know where their funds are going.”

It costs $125 to enter the tournament and foursomes can sign up for $450. The tournament begins at 11 a.m. and participants can register here.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story described a $100,000 goal. Livingstone has updated its fundraising goal for the event to $75,000.