Ellis Park benefit; YAT golf tournament to help develop Fort Scott recreation spot

Hoping to bring more amenities to Ellis Park, the Youth Activities Team is planning a Pennies for the Park First Annual Golf Tournament for Saturday at Woodland Hills Golf Course in Fort Scott.

Registration starts at 7 a.m. and the golf tournament begins at 9 a.m. Cost is $120 per three-person team, YAT Co-Convenor Diana Mitchell said.

Festivities start at 6 p.m. Friday with Cheeseburgers in Paradise at the golf course. True to it's name, cheeseburgers will be offered.

"We have Jake Gross cooking hamburgers. There will be hamburgers and every kind of condiment you could possibly want -- from avocados to zucchini -- to dress your burger with," Mitchell said. The burgers come with chips and a drink and beer will be available.

"I think it will be a very fun evening," Mitchell said.

Up for bid during a silent auction will be golf bags, clubs, a barbecue grill, golf balls, a golf watch, Royals and Schlitterbahn tickets. The big prize for the linkster who gets a hole-in-one on the 11th hole is a 2012 Camry donated by Shepherd Team Auto Plaza, Mitchell said.

Horse race betting, where people may wager on competing golf squads, will also be featured.

YAT member Tom Robertson said bets will be taken in $1 increments, with half the proceeds going to YAT and the rest divided up among the tournament winners. Proceeds will be used for volleyball and basketball equipment to be installed at Ellis Park, located on 15 acres at 12th and Shepherd streets.

Robertson said 20 teams have signed up and will be included in the horse race betting, but no teams will be turned away. Mitchell said no competitors will be turned away, but they won't be included in the horse race betting.

"This is going to be a payback tourney," Mitchell said. "... Almost any team that enters will get something back. No one's going to walk home without any money. We have some really nice gift bags and lunch is provided."

Many supporters have chipped in to back the fundraiser. "We've been really happy with the response on sponsorships," Robertson said.

The Pennies for the Park name was used because "that's kind of been our trademark," Robertson said.

Sidewalks and pads for basketball and volleyball courts have been poured, but there are no goals or nets. Walking trails and picnic areas are also planned. "We just need to finish those up with the amenities," Robertson said.

To sign up, call Robertson at 223-0386.

"I think it's going to be a fun tournament," Mitchell said.