(Palm Beach Gardens, FL) For over 23 years, the EWGA’s (Executive Women’s Golf Association) mission has been to enrich women’s lives through the game of golf. As the month of August approaches, their vision has expanded beyond the organization and into the community. One EWGA member has embraced the August theme, “Pay It Forward,” through her philanthropic act.
Karla Harding has been a member of the Northern Colorado Chapter for 12 years. Her role has expanded beyond her membership into a top volunteer leader. A member of the Tournament Operations Committee, Karla is part of the volunteer team responsible for providing a competitive experience for thousands of EWGA members who compete in EWGAs major tournaments including 15 District Semi-finals, the Cup Finals and Championship Finals. This involvement led her to an act of giving that mirrors EWGA’s vision.
Each month, the EWGA Foundation conducts an online auction to fund its core program of supporting leadership development for women of all ages. When Karla bid on a 7-night/8 day vacation rental at Marriot Villas in Phoenix, she never anticipated that winning the item would turn into so much more.
After careful thought, Karla decided to donate her $1600 valued item to someone in need. She reflected on the stress her family experienced when her dad was ill and her mother needed to travel to visit him. Inspired by these memories and the challenges her mother faced in locating places to stay, she wanted to make it easier for someone else now in need.
“So, I started searching for places on the Mayo Clinic website in the Phoenix area,” says Karla. “They initially wouldn’t take the donation so I went to chaplain services instead. Through their social services outreach, they found a deserving couple that is struggling financially and could really use the help. The gentleman was having several surgeries and needed a place to stay with his wife. I was happy I could contribute.”
“It doesn’t feel like a grand gesture,” says Karla. “It makes me feel good to help someone who’s struggling. Now, they can get the care they need and continue working with the doctors they were initially dealing with.”
As the month of August approaches, the EWGA knows Karla’s philanthropic act is the start of many more.
“Belonging to the EWGA is so much more than playing golf. It’s about opening doors and lending a hand to enrich the lives of individuals everywhere, not just within the EWGA,” says CEO Pam Swensen. “We look forward to sharing many more stories in the upcoming month that truly embody what our organization is about!”
About the EWGA
As the largest women-focused amateur golf association in the United States with chapters in nearly every U.S. major market and corporate center, the EWGA has connected more than 100,000 working and professional women who share a passion for cultivating relationships and enjoying the game of golf. Offering a wide range of affordable organized golf activities and educational programs, this award-winning association – long recognized as the golf community for women – has been driving social and networking opportunities for its members through the game of golf since 1991. With EWGA Chapters located in more than 120 cities throughout the United States as well as in international locations including Bermuda, Canada, Italy and South Africa, EWGA members are active participants in hundreds of communities.
For more information about the EWGA and its membership, visit EWGA.
Media members interested in more information about the EWGA should contact Danielle Sorresso (Danielle@themediagroupinc.com) of The Media Group at (847) 956-9090.
Contact:
Danielle Sorresso
The Media Group, Inc.
(847) 956-9090
E-mail: danielle@themediagroupinc.com