SWING INTO ACTION

By Shannon Puopolo, Esq., Tournament Co-Chair

The Lee County Bar Association Foundation is gearing up for its annual charity golf tournament at The Forest Country Club on Saturday, May 13. Registration is open at www.leebarfoundation.org. The tournament will be limited to 120 golfers to ensure a brisk pace of play.

The tournament includes a buffet breakfast, lunch and John Webb Legal Group’s world-famous Bloody Mary bar. In addition, there will be games and chances to win prizes throughout the course, including a hole-in-one car! As a new addition, players can let a former golf professional hit their drive on a challenging par 5.

The tournament will also feature a live and silent auction presented by our very own auctioneer, LCBA President Spencer Cordell. Bid on fantastic hotel stays, dining experiences and more! The Foundation will continue to accept donations of auction items and is grateful for all donations received so far.

This year’s tournament title sponsor is Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. “Henderson Franklin is thrilled to be the title sponsor this year. Supporting our community has always been a core value of our firm, and we are honored to play a part in helping to create a brighter future for all,” shared Doug Szabo, the firm’s managing partner.

The golf tournament is the Foundation’s largest fundraising event, with all proceeds benefiting its annual grant allocations. The grants support local charities that aid the community in line with the Foundation’s mission, which is to:

• Provide legal aid to the indigent;

• Support and participate in charitable endeavors benefiting youth and/or benefiting the underprivileged population;

• Encourage and promote education and community awareness of the law; and

• Provide for the establishment of scholarships.

Last year, the tournament raised close to $30,000, which helped fund grants for local charities including: Best Buddies Southwest Florida, Boys and Girls Club of Lee County, Child Care of SWFL, Children’s Home Society of Florida, Community Cooperative, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center, Family Initiative Autism Support, Feed Thy Neighbor, FISH of SanCap, Guardian ad Litem – 20th Judicial Circuit, Harry Chapin Food Bank, I Will Mentorship, Lee County Legal Aid Society, #KindLee, Lighthouse of Southwest Florida, Inc., Literacy Council Gulf Coast, Meals of Hope, Midwest Food Bank –Florida Division, Miguel C. Fernandez Hispanic Bar Association, Miles of Smiles Foundation, NAMI, New Horizons of Southwest Florida, Pace Center for Girls, Quality of Life Center SWFL, THRIVE, United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee, and Valerie’s House.

If you are interested in sponsoring the tournament or learning more about the Foundation, please feel free to contact shannon. puopolo@henlaw.com.

The Foundation Golf Committee includes co-chairs Ken Jones and Shannon Puopolo, and committee members Kati Cook, Spencer Cordell, Vanessa Fernandez, Ehren Frey, Amanda Lasher, Sarah McComish, Meredith McBride, Michael-Anthony Pica, David Seitz and John Webb.

The Foundation is very appreciative of all of the time and effort the committee members spend on organizing the event. In particular, a special thank you goes out to Ken Jones, who has co-chaired the event for a number of years and is truly the face of the tournament! As stated by long-time committee member David Seitz, “The Foundation tournament has Ken Jones leading the way to fun! He’s been a joy to work with since I joined the committee several years ago.”