More than 300 golfers attended the Strack & Van Til Charity Foundation Golf Outing at White Hawk Country Club on Wednesday, August 16. The course offered four nine-hole courses for attendees to play on.
The event has been going on for several years at different locations in Northwest Indiana. Jeff Strack, CEO and President of Strack & Van Til, says that the gathering allows the company to give back to their vendors and community partners while raising money for charity organizations.
“It has always been in Strack & Van Til’s company fabric to give back to the communities we serve,” said President and CEO Jeff Strack. “Nick Van Til and Ernie Strack believed that giving back was just good business, thought it was the right thing to do and believed that we are all better when our communities are better places to live. I appreciate all of our vendors’ and partners’ support and everything they do for us. I hope to continue to help organizations and events that elevate the quality of life in Northwest Indiana for many years to come.”
Attendee Tony Scheidt was one person that couldn’t wait to get into the action. “It's a great day, and this is such a beautiful course,” Scheidt said. “Everybody is off of work, and we can have a lot of fun today in the nice weather.”
All of the proceeds from the golf outing go to the Strack & Van Til Charity Foundation. The event last year benefitted at least 18 organizations. Vendor Kevin Clay is appreciative of the work that’s been done with the golf outing over the years and the way it’s helped benefit local organizations.
“As a vendor, it's been great to continue the partnership with them,” Clay said. “Having the chance to support them for a good cause while enjoying the time together is what makes this a special event.”
Over the years of attending the golf outings, Clay has also embraced the various challenges that have surfaced each time.
“I've been playing golf my whole life,” Clay said. “I think the golf outings are a fun experience. They give us an opportunity to play with new people on courses that probably haven't played on before by most of us. To be given an opportunity to challenge ourselves in different ways from a normal player is pretty neat.”
Prior to the event kicking off at 9:30 a.m., attendees were welcome to enjoy a celebratory breakfast at the country club’s dining area. Some golfers elected to practice beforehand and have conversations with new or old faces.
“Golfing has really helped bring our community together as a whole because it's not only a sport; it says a lot about companionship,” Attendee Ron Zielke said. “It’s great to see some old buddies and then compete with them. I enjoy the camaraderie.”
Mark Michael is another firm believer that the Strack & Van Til Charity Foundation golf outing has proven to benefit the community. What he values the most is being able to have casual discussions and build better relationships.
“You can take in a lot of ideas from the different people here,” Michael said. “Not everybody is the same, so it’s fascinating to learn about those things. You can talk about business on a more social and less structured level. We get the opportunity to do that while supporting the local communities and charities, which is the most important part.”
The social environment at the golf outing has continued to keep vendors and partners on their toes for this annual event.
For more information about Strack & Van Til, you can visit its website.
