CCC tournament raises funds for allied health scholarships

TUNICA – More than 100 Mid-South residents took a day off from the office Friday to play golf for a worthy cause.

Twenty-seven teams composed of four golfers paid entrance fees to support Coahoma Community College’s fourth annual Scholarship Golf Tournament at Tunica National.

“In the past three years, the tournament has netted $30,000 for scholarships to train much-needed health professionals in the Mississippi Delta,” explains Bob Swatzell, tournament coordinator and CCC’s respiratory therapy clinical director.

He not only plays the tournament, he talks three other family members into driving long distances to join him on the course for an all-Swatzell team.

Serving as popular tournament chairman and enlisting supporters across Mississippi to mix fun and support education for the past four years is Clarksdale attorney Bill Luckett who played with Doug Mauldin and twin sons, Doug Jr. and Draper of Tallahatchie County.

Luckett’s usual partner, Sykes Sturdivant of Glendora, formed his own “angel” team with three lady golfers: his wife, Cindy, Joan Schanell, and Alex Young.

Winning the tournament for the third time with a score of 54 is the team of Greg Hoskins, Percy Perry, Roosevelt Howard, and Norman Snerling, all of Clarksdale.

Second place team winners: Greg Malatesta, Paul Powell, Harry Graves, and Mike Harrell of Clarksdale. Third place winners: Henry Reid, William Sanford, Willie Collins, and Abraham Galin of Belzoni.

Each team member took home a handsome engraved plaque and gift cards: $300 each for first place; $125 for second; and $50 each for third.

Numerous other prizes, golf balls, and cash awards were presented to putting winners, the longest drives, and other categories.