Lake Buena Vista Rotary tees up for 10th annual golf tourney

Gregory Gorski remembers watching intensely as a golfer missed the hole of a 60-foot putt by just a few inches during the Lake Buena Vista Rotary Club Foundation’s golf tournament last year. 

Those watching the contest couldn’t believe it. 

Gorski missed out on a $5,000 prize.

The stakes are higher at this year’s Lake Buena Vista Rotary Club Foundation’s golf tournament as the putting contest has a $10,000 prize. 

Whoever sinks the putt will win, and if no one does, the prize money will go toward the foundation’s efforts of supporting various community organizations. 

Gorski, the chair of the golf event, said he has a hunch that this will be the year someone sinks the putt.

The Lake Buena Vista Rotary Club Foundation golf tournament, which will take place Friday, May 15, is celebrating its 10th anniversary at Celebration Golf Club. 

Over the past decade, the tournament only has become bigger and better, raising more funds and providing more opportunities for fun at the tournament. 

Gorski said with this tournament, the club is expecting to exceed $250,000 raised since the tournament’s inception. 

“I enjoy being able to raise funds to help our community,” he said. “I enjoy being a part of something with our members that is important and meaningful. I appreciate all the support we get from the community that shows up at the event to donate either time or funds to help benefit our foundation and the community.”

He said he is grateful and it is gratifying to see the Rotary Club’s 60-plus members participating in the tournament in some way — whether playing, volunteering or participating in the auction.

“It’s meaningful because it’s 100% involvement with our members,” Gorski said of the club. “To have that many people engage in an event like this is why it’s so successful. It also becomes kind of a galvanizing event for our members. We all have one cause. We’re all together in that cause, and it’s meaningful for all those reasons.” 

All money raised is used to support various community organizations, including the New Image Youth Center in Parramore, National Alliance of Mental Illness, Rotary Youth Scholarships, Orlando Union Rescue Mission, United Abolitionists and more.

The Lake Buena Vista Rotary Club invites these organizations to its meetings to present a check, which gives the organization a chance to share its mission and the impact the money will have on the organization. 

Gorski said the members have been able to see how they’re providing shelter through the Orlando Union Rescue Mission or after-school programs through the New Image Youth Center.

“They share stories about the children that are benefitting by that,” he said. “We get thank-you letters from the kids. It’s definitely a tangible thing to see and to look at, and you recognize the impact you’re having when you see that. … It shows that our work matters. It shows that volunteer efforts matter. We’re making a difference each time we do this in our community. It’s important and meaningful for us to be part of that.” 

At the tournament, one of the moments that speaks to the impact it has on the community most is when Gorski sees the golfers head off to their first tee. He sees golfers in dozens of golf carts, all of whom are there to support the club’s cause and believe in what they’re doing for the community, he said. 

The tournament already has sold out with a maximum of 140 golfers of all experiences participating. Gorski said of those 140, about 70% of them are returning golfers. 

Following the tournament, the fun will continue at a post-round buffet luncheon.

Although the tournament already is sold out, people still can support the organization by donating online or participating in the auction online. The auction will go live Monday, May 11, and close at 2 p.m. Friday, May 15.