‘Celebrate as a family’ – Putt-A-Round starts with Match Night

Connor Engelkes was having a great time hitting a golf ball around a customized mini course inside the RiverCenter in downtown Davenport on Tuesday night, Feb. 4. The area man was taking part in the opening event of the annual Putt-A-Round  – a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley. It was […]

Connor Engelkes was having a great time hitting a golf ball around a customized mini course inside the RiverCenter in downtown Davenport on Tuesday night, Feb. 4. The area man was taking part in the opening event of the annual Putt-A-Round  – a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley. It was called Match Night and featured almost 400 kids, parents, and adult volunteers and the children they are mentoring – also called “Bigs” and “Littles.”

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Mr. Engelkes – one of the “Bigs” – was having a great time playing golf with his “Little” –  a 13-year-old boy named Ben. (In many cases, the kids at Match Night were identified only by their first names.) “It’s just good to hang out with this guy. … This is a good and fun event, and we get to play golf,” Mr. Engelkes said. Ben quickly added: “He also likes the food here.” Mentor Night on Tuesday was filled with food, treats, cookies, pizza, prizes, music and a lot of golf. But mainly it was a time to give Bigs and Littles  a chance to spend some quality time together and have fun. “It’s another experience they get to have together. They get to celebrate as a family,” said Jay Justin, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley (BBBS), as he rushed from one place to another Tuesday. The Tuesday night celebration was the first event of the 20th annual Putt-A-Round fundraiser that is being held in the Great Hall of the RiverCenter.  Putt-A-Round continues Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 5-7. While food, music and prizes are a major part of the Putt-A-Round experience, the mini golf course set up in the RiverCenter is the star of the show. That course includes 23 holes custom designed and built by area businesses and organizations. Some of those uniquely designed holes include:

• Hole 23: Designed by HNI Corp., it is an office scene, complete with a deck, chair and filing cabinet. On Tuesday, Mr. Engelkes and Ben were two of the players trying to guide golf balls around the office setting to get to the hole.
• Hole 21: Sponsored by Bush Construction, this hole was one of the more popular places on the course Tuesday as many Bigs and Littles gathered around it for much of the night. That popularity was likely due to the fact Bush employees were handing out big sugar cookies decorated with the Bush Construction logo. “This is really a wonderful event for the kids,” said Melissa Council of Eldridge, one of the workers handing out cookies and working at Hole 21.
• Hole 7: The Davenport Noon Optimist Club decorated that hole in red, white and blue with 11 American flags surrounding the golf green. The hole’s theme was “Avenue of Flags.”
• Hole 14: The RILCO, Inc. company had several pieces of work safety equipment surrounding the hole. Kate Schultz, sales coordinator for RILCO, said she was also happy to take part in Putt-A-Round to provide a fun time for youngsters. But, she added, the event is also a means to do business for the company. “It is a good way to meet some customers outside the normal channels,” Ms. Schultz said.

Another of the Bigs and Littles visiting the various holes on Tuesday was Ashley Podhirny of Eldridge and 10-year-old Jaylah. The Eldridge woman said she was at the event to spend time with Jaylah, and to show her some of the businesses and organizations helping BBBS. ‘I wanted to show her some of the people and businesses that are here. … It’s also just a lot of fun to hang out,” she added. Many of the Bigs echoed the view that Match Night was a great time to get out of the house and have a little fun with their Littles. Lanolia Neely of Rock Island has been an adult volunteer at BBBS for more than a decade. She was at the event with her “Little,” Monique, 15, of Davenport. “I like going to all these (golf) stations and seeing what they look like. … We just have fun together,” said Monique.   A look at Putt-A-Round Here’s a look at some of the offerings, facts and figures behind this year’s Putt-A-Round:

• Putt-A-Round is expected to raise 110,000 from the event, which will push the event over the $1 million mark since its inception 20 years ago.
• In total, more than 700 participants, playing on over 410 teams, will “tee it up” for BBBS this year.
• Mr. Justin said he expects more than 1,600 people to attend PUtt-A-Round this year.
• Putt-A-Round has grown from a small event at a local outdoor miniature golf course, to an indoor four-day event that includes 23 holes custom designed and built by area businesses and organizations.  
• The three-day event allows BBBS to promote its need for mentors as well as its other events including its annual plant sale and Over The Edge, a fundraiser that sends supporters rappelling over the edge of the Hotel Blackhawk in downtown Davenport.  
• This year’s event is sponsored by Quad City Area Realtors Association and Khaliq Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. 
• Putt-A-Round will continue at the RiverCenter on these days and times:  3-5 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5; 3-5 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. 3-5 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7.

Mr. Justin said the idea of the Putt-A-Round fundraiser started as a notion written on a bar napkin some 20 years ago. He and others were looking to create an event that was unique that stood out from the crowd of other events and would help BBBS. They came up with the one-of-a-kind mini-golf fundraiser that had a modest beginning. It was once held at a former miniature golf business in west Davenport, moved to the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf before finally moving to the RiverCenter in Davenport. Today, it has become the top fundraising event for the local BBBS. “It fits our brand perfectly. What kid doesn’t remember going to mini golf and having ice cream afterwards?” he added.