Surf Internet hosted its first Charity Golf Classic and asked its partners to support Five Star Life. The results were $100,000 in donations that will benefit the nonprofit that serves 20,000 young people.
The inaugural tournament Sept. 24 attracted 148 golfers to the Bent Oak Golf Club in Elkhart.
“A lot of the good work Surf is doing happens quietly,” said Gene Crusie, CEO of Surf Internet, in a press release. “We have some incredible partnerships with organizations doing great things throughout the Great Lakes region, and we’re always looking for ways we can support them. As Surf grows, we want to keep finding meaningful ways to invest in the places we call home.”
Five Star Life provides programs that help youth succeed, including leadership, educational and developmental programming at its Summit campus in Union, Michigan. They have big plans for the funds raised.
“We are incredibly honored that Surf Internet has selected Five Star Life as the beneficiary of its Charity Golf Classic,” said Seth Maust, president and co-founder of Five Star Life. “Their investment will have a lasting impact on the thousands of students we serve, helping us expand hands-on learning through a new greenhouse, provide scholarships so more kids can access Five Star Life programs, and complete a critical new entrance to our campus that will allow school buses to safely enter and exit from Baldwin Prairie Road rather than US Highway 12.”
Surf invited business partners from around the country, and 53 sponsors answered the call, including Jackson Rooftop, Netceed, CommScope, Engenuity Fiber, Lighthouse Technologies, New-Gen Unlimited, RLM Underground, Techcom and VETRO.
“When we started planning this event, we knew we had an incredible network of partners who would get behind a cause like Five Star Life,” said Surf Internet Chief Operating Officer Brent Williams. “But to see the response to our first Charity Golf Classic was pretty incredible. We’re grateful to every sponsor and golfer who helped make it happen and proud of what their support will mean for Five Star Life.”
The fundraiser launched Sept. 23 with a reception at Jackson Rooftop.
Surf Internet based in Elkhart employs more than 350 people in Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. The fiber-optic internet company also has an office in La Porte.
