By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce is preparing to hold its only fundraiser of the year and is asking the community to tee up and help out.

The Chamber’s annual golf tournament is Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Valley Grande Golf Course and organizers are still looking for a few teams and sponsors to sign up ahead of the Oct. 12 deadline.

“It’s four players to a team and the team registration is $260 ($65 per team member),” said Sheryl Smedley, chamber executive director. “If you’re not a golfer but your company still wants to participate, individual hole sponsorships are available for $100.”

The registration fee includes greens fees, cart, lunch and beverages.

The money raised from the golf tournament will go toward helping the chamber continue serving its membership and the community.

“This is our only fundraiser that the chamber conducts, so this funding is used for us to continue to provide business seminars to our membership and to continue to advocate for local businesses and our community,” Smedley said.

The tournament is open to anyone looking to play, regardless of skill level.

“It’s open to not only chamber members, but to anyone that would like to participate,” tournament chairman Lee Calame said. “We encourage individuals, companies to be on teams, sponsor teams or even sponsor a hole.”

In addition to team prizes, Calame said prizes would also be given away on specific holes.

“We have four closest to the pin holes where a prize will be given away to the individual that’s closest to the pin and a long drive hole where a prize will be given to the golfer who hits the ball in the fairway furthest off the tee box,” Calame said. “We have prizes for first, second and third place in each flight, and door prizes will be given away to all participating individuals.”

Calame, who works at BankTrust in Selma, stressed the money raised helps the chamber continue to support business development in Selma and Dallas County.

“It goes to the operation of the chamber of commerce in regards to the development of retail and industrial commerce in the Selma-Dallas County area,” Calame said.

“It also goes toward advertising our town and county and promoting not only the existing businesses we have here, but encouraging new businesses to come to town.”

In the event of severe weather, Calame said the tournament would be played on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

For more information or to register for the tournament, call the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce at 875-7241.