The 13th Annual EDPA Las Vegas Education Scholarship Golf Classic, organized by EDPA Las Vegas Chapter, surpassed previous attendance and fund-raising records on June 10 at Revere Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.
More than 130 attendees, including 100 golfers, donated over $16,000 to create national college scholarships for exhibit industry members or their dependents. This year’s donations topped the approximately $13,000 the chapter raised in 2014.
“We had a record turnout thanks to all of our volunteers, participants and sponsors!” commented Rebecca Thompson, board member of EPDA Las Vegas Chapter and EDPAF Scholarship Committee.
The event also attracted nearly 40 sponsors. This included Gold Sponsor, Las Vegas Expo; Silver Sponsors, Czarnowski and PRG; and Bronze Sponsors, Tectonics Industries and Color Reflections.
In partnership with the Exhibit Designers + Producers Association (EDPA) Foundation, the golf classic is the chapter’s largest event of the year.
“We’re excited to write a check to the Foundation for these scholarships!” exclaimed Dalene Threeton, board member, EPDA Las Vegas Chapter.
The golf classic demonstrated the organizing capabilities of the EDPA Las Vegas volunteer leadership. They often organize the golf classic and their other events in addition to their day jobs.
Chapter Vice President Susan Medica was tasked with asking a network of companies to donate prizes that could be raffled or auctioned.
“Susan has a magic way of asking people to donate. We [the Las Vegas chapter] only had to buy one thing to be donated,” added Thompson.
Overall, Medica’s efforts garnered 60 prize donations from various organizations, such as Mandalay Bay Resort, Blue Man Group, Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas and a Beverly Hills hotel. Suppliers to the tradeshow industry too donated prizes. This included Angles on Design, Steelhead Productions, Freeman, PRG and ELITeXPO.
Not only does the golf classic unite members of the exhibit industry for a common cause, but it also adds plenty of opportunities for networking – on and off the golf course – and helps companies develop closer business relationships with their customers.
Teams gathered to play rounds of golf before settling in for a blind wine testing sponsored by OnSite Exhibitor Service and an afternoon luncheon. Winning players earned the respect of their peers and trophies. Top winners included Jason Vince of Totally Mod; Lorie Schlichting of Color Reflections; and Aaron Sullivan, a guest of Las Vegas Expo.
EDPA Las Vegas Chapter launched the golf classic in 2002. Since then, the chapter in partnership with the EDPA Foundation has given out 54 scholarships across the U.S.
Past recipients have included Miranda McLaughlin, the Derse student who maintains a 4.0 at Brigham Young University in Utah, and Kayleigh Lauzon, who attends Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. Lauzon stated she used her scholarship to purchase a suite of software to help with her studies.
To date, 17 scholarship recipients have hailed from Las Vegas. The chapter funds one exclusive Las Vegas recipient, and the balance of funds goes to support individuals the EDPA Foundation selected for scholarships, according to Threeton.
The funds raised this year could be enough to create between three to four scholarships, added Thompson.
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must at least have a 2.8 GPA, submit an essay, list their intended study at a university and demonstrate financial need.
For more information on the EDPA Foundation and to get a scholarship application, visit edpa.com/foundation/whatwedo/
