JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As typically goes with elections, raising money is a key component to running a great campaign. But Senator Doug Libla has put those skills to good use, with his latest fundraiser pulling together an impressive event and gathering an even more impressive amount of cash, all for a good cause.
The Butler County state senator each year hosts a golf tournament and has done so for the previous five years. This year, it was held on Oct. 12 at Ozark Ridge Golf Course. But unlike previous years, 100 percent of the money raised was donated to charity.
Three charities, to be exact.
In a Facebook post, Libla detailed which three charities would be benefitting from the event, praising them for their work in southeast Missouri. Those charities are the ERASE Foundation, which provides after-school learning opportunities like specialized reading programs, for hundreds of at-risk kids in the bootheel; the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center, located in Sikeston, which provides children with special needs the therapy to help them realize their dreams; and UCAN (United Cancer Assistance Network), which provides individualized support for area cancer patients.
The event had a great turnout, according to Libla, with 23 teams joining to take part in a four-person scramble for a day of good food and fun. But the most impressive part was the more than $50,000 donated, which was to be divided between the three charities.
“Because of your generous support, we raised over $50,000 that was divided equally between three wonderful charities that do great work in southeast Missouri, by assisting hundreds of people that desperately need a helping hand,” Libla wrote in a Facebook post, thanking everyone who made the event possible.
Each charity will be given more than $16,000 thanks to the event, but Libla says that number could actually still be larger.
“Each one of these charities will end up with around $17,000 apiece,” he said. “So far, we’ve divided right at $50,000 between the three of them, but there’s a little more still coming in.”
He says it sets the bar pretty high for the next year but looks forward to working hard to achieve.
“The really nice thing about this is the people who make the donations and investments in these particular projects. We couldn’t make this happen without all of them, and all of our sponsors,” Libla said. “It takes a lot of volunteers and a lot of people believing in what we can accomplish. I think the people that participated really enjoy seeing the money well-used and well-run. These groups do amazing work, a wonderful job.”
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
