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August 26, 2007

Fund-raiser in Lamar scores ace for organization

Jim Moss 8/26/07 pullout at bottom



By Debbie Robinson

news@joplinglobe.com

LAMAR, Mo. — Golf balls rained over Lamar City Park on Sunday afternoon to raise money for an organization that works to prevent child abuse and domestic violence.

This was the second year for the fund-raising project to benefit Barceda Families, a nonprofit organization founded in 1997.

A helicopter hovered about 100 feet off the ground over a baseball field as 4,785 golf balls were released before a crowd of about 75 people. The three golf balls closest to the flagstick resulted in prizes donated by area merchants.

Michelle Crockett, assistant director of Barceda Families, said about $14,000 was raised from the sale of tickets, doubling last year’s sales. Tickets were sold for $3 each or four for $10.

More than 50 businesses and companies bought tickets and gave them to their employees, Crockett said.

“We’re a grant-funded organization, and these funds pay for those things that the grants do not cover,” she said.

Crockett said the organization was founded by a group in Greenfield with an initial grant from the Children’s Trust Fund.

“They saw there was a problem with child abuse in the area,” she said.

The organization works with state agencies, hospitals, schools and mental-health agencies.

With a staff of 11, the organization serves residents in Barton, Cedar, Dade, Hickory, Polk, Dallas and Vernon counties. About 5,000 students and adults are involved in the parenting program, and 225 families participate in other programs, Crockett said.

“It’s very rewarding to know we’re making a difference in the lives of people in the communities,” she said.

Andrew Bary, education presenter for the organization, said some of the programs provided by the organization are educational programs for schools and community groups, a Stay-At-Home program, a program to provide assistance to families with children who have learning disabilities, after-school programs, and a mentoring program for teenagers and their parents.

“Our goal is to end child abuse and domestic violence,” he said.

The Stay-At-Home program assists parents who have been identified as having some form of household stress.

“We have a 95 to 98 percent success rate,” Bary said.

Lillian McCarthy, of Lamar, said she bought four tickets for the golf-ball drop to support the organization that has helped her daughter, Ashley, a single mother.

Her daughter, the mother of two sons, is involved in the Every Child Healthy Outcome program, which is designed to support families with children from birth to age 7 who have “learning disabilities or delays,” Crockett said.

The organization steers the families to resources such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, and covers the cost if the families have little or no insurance, she said.

Both of McCarthy’s grandsons — Layton, 11 months old, and Halen, 4 weeks old — were born prematurely. Halen has been hospitalized since birth, McCarthy said.

“I think it’s a fabulous program,” she said. “They (Barceda Families) have helped her out financially, emotionally and with friendship.”

Her grandson is gaining weight and has “a heck of an attitude,” McCarthy said.

Her daughter has developed a “great outlook,” she said.

Although McCarthy didn’t win a prize Sunday, she said the money she spent on tickets is going to an excellent organization.





Prize winners



Local and state politicians served as judges to determine whose golf balls were closest to the hole. The three top finishers were not at Sunday’s event.

After measurements were taken, the first-place winner of a riding lawn mower was Kristin Bishop, of Lamar. Sarah Sayre, of Golden City, took second place, winning a gas grill. Ronald Kemp, of Bolivar, was the third-place finisher and won a pair of Silver Dollar City tickets.

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