BRADENTON – Golfers competing in the fourth annual Anna Maria Island Rotary Club Golf Classic on Wednesday, April 4, will have the chance to win a new Volkswagen SE Jetta Sport.
A hole-in-one on the 167-yard, par-3 third hole at the IMG Academy Golf Club in Bradenton is worth a new car valued at approximately $45,000.
The grand prize is again being offered by Boast Volkswagen in Bradenton. Sales Manager Mike Shaughnessy said the Jetta will be positioned near the tee box so the golfers can see what they’re shooting for. A second car will be on display near the putting green.
“No one’s ever got a hole-in-one, but we hope they do. We basically buy insurance based on the number of players, the yardage and the difficulty of the hole. We pay for the insurance and provide the car. We’ve been doing it since the first Rotary tournament, and we’ll continue,” Shaughnessy said.
“It’s a real nice car. It’s loaded with everything, and it’s got special safety features. It’s one of the top-selling Jettas we have,” he added.
Shaughnessy said company president Steve Bierwirth prefers these kinds of community-oriented promotional activities rather than the basic advertising auto dealerships typically utilize.
“We help the community and the different charities around town, and this is one of the projects we do each year. My wife, Beth, and my son, Tim, have been involved in the Rotary. We believe in what the Rotary does helping out both internationally and locally, and we’ve been able to help them raise money every year,” Shaughnessy said.
Shaughnessy, who is not a Rotarian, has competed in previous tournaments, but he won’t be playing this year because he has to work. Beth won’t be playing either as she continues to recover from a stroke suffered last year, but she is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the couple’s seventh grandchild. Their daughter, Brianna, is expecting a baby boy in late July.
“She’s doing really well,” Shaughnessy said of his wife’s recovery. “She was supposed to be president-elect of the Rotary, but she had to pass on that as well. She’s recovering and getting better little by little. It’s a long haul with a stroke.”
Registration and prizes
Tournament proceeds will benefit AMI Rotary programs at Anna Maria Elementary School. They will also benefit the club’s Learn to Swim program, the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra and the joint efforts with other local Rotary clubs to build all-inclusive playgrounds at three county parks.
The entry fee is $100 per person and includes 18 holes of golf, an electric cart, lunch, the awards dinner and on-course beverages. You do not need to be a Rotary Club member to play.
AMI Rotary Club Vice President Judy Rup said the winning foursome will get a $400 cash prize, which she noted would cover their entry fees. Additional prizes and awards will also be given away during the dinner taking place in the banquet room.
Rotarian Dennis Schuermann is in charge of golfer registration. On Monday, he said 67 golfers had registered so far.
“They need to register this week by the end of the weekend so we can get our numbers to IMG. They can pay on the day of the tournament,” he said.
To register, call 727-742-0762 or email dschuermann@msn.com.
Tournament sponsors include The Anna Maria Island Sun and LaPensee Plumbing, Pools and Air.
