Save Our Sports Success

Photo by Rick Schonely

Last Saturday at beautiful Ironwoods Golf Course, 44 golfers teed it up to raise money for the Molokai High School athletics program in the Save Our Sports (SOS) Tournament. Businesses, organizations and individuals mad donations and purchased hole sponsor signs, with the goal of assisting teams offset increasing travel costs to athletic competitions. SOS raised close to $10,000, which MHS Athletic Director Lee DeRouin called a huge success.

Photo by Rick Schonely

A fun day was had by all, highlighted by a hole-in-one on the Par 3 third hole by Molokai Middle School science teacher Scott Hemenway. Hemenway used a 6 iron from 160 yards and got his first ever ace.

“It was 160 yards and a nice 6 iron, a nice little fade and it came down and bounced twice and rolled and hit the pin and went in,” he said. “It is my very first hole-in-one and I have to thank my mom and dad upstairs in heaven for helping me out.”

DeRouin split up all the golfers by handicap into four fun flights named Caddy Shack, Bagger Vance, Tin Cup and Happy Gilmore. Ironwoods was full of fun and laughter on a beautiful overcast light wind day, and all the golfers enjoyed a great luncheon and awards afterwards.

DeRouin said the SOS campaign will help offset the increasing transportation costs to cover the school’s athletic teams to play in the Maui Interscholastic League and State tournaments.

“Molokai High School student athletes, athletic teams and coaches have been doing remarkably well the past few seasons in various sports qualifying for state tournaments and winning MIL Championships,” he wrote in a fundraising campaign letter. “The Department of Education and MIL does its best to help support MHS but falls short in the amount needed for the MHS Athletic Department teams to travel to events with the increased transportation cost of air travel.”

Photo by Rick Schonely

The Molokai Ferry, which carried many teams to Maui events, stopped operation last year claiming low ridership and financial shortfalls. All teams must now travel by air to off-island competitions.

DeRouin was happy with the first annual SOS Golf Tournament.

“On behalf of Molokai Athletics Department, I would like to thank all our hole sponsors, golfers and volunteers,” he said. “Without all of you this fundraising event would not have been possible. Mahalo and Go Farmers!”