BY DONNA SWICEGOOD
Laura Laws was dedicated to making sure children had the means and support to achieve their full potential.
Following her sudden death in 2003 from a dissection of the coronary artery, her dedication to that cause has been continued through an annual golf tournament that has raised thousands of dollars for scholarship monies for students in Iredell and Alexander counties.
“The Laura Laws Memorial Golf Tournament has been far more successful than I could have imagined,” said Laws’ husband, Edwin.
The event, which is now in its 23rd year, will be held September 17 at the Statesville Country Club. It is sponsored by the Fourth Creek Rotary Club, which counts Edwin is one of its charter members.
What distinguishes this event from many other golf outings is how it honors Laura Laws’ commitment to children and her love of golf. It routinely draws several Atlantic Coast Conference legends, who play alongside locals.
This year, three basketball legends have already said they will be there — UNC’s Phil Ford and Al Wood and N.C. State’s Dereck Whittenburg.
Ken Davis, one of the coordinators of the tournament, was a factor in bringing athletes and coaches such as Bobby Cremins, Ford, Wood, N.C. State’s Tommy Burleson and Whittenburg to the event in its early days. Davis was an assistant coach under Cremins at Appalachian State University.
Cremins and Burleson were also regulars at the tournament for several years but health problems prevented them from attending the last couple of years.
Ford and Wood are always eager to take part.
“They always say go ahead and put us down for next year,” Davis said.
That commitment to the tournament extends far beyond the athletes. Clay Lunsford and Friends, a local band, provides entertainment after the golfing is finished.
Davis said the Statesville Country Club, which was Laura Laws’ home club, is also a vital component.
“The country club has been very good to us,” said Chris Bates, another of the organizers.
Combining golf and raising money to benefit children is a fitting way to honor Laura Laws. She taught herself the game as a girl in Alexander County, and when she got to Alexander Central High School, finding there was no girls team at the time, she joined the boys team. She went on to play at Wake Forest University, and after settling in Statesville, she became club champion at the country club.
Her husband said she always strived to be a better golfer, by working on her game on the driving range, reading books by legendary golf coach Harvey Pineck and borrowing a practice device from John Marshall that he used on the putting green.
His wife’s love of golf was only surpassed only by her passion for children and education.
”Laura was passionate about helping children thrive and reach their potential,” he said. “Her dedication to education and the Iredell-Statesville Schools inspired her to lead fundraising events, to volunteer in classrooms and to serve as a substitute teacher.”
When the Rotary Club decided to host that first golf tournament in 2004, the goal was a modest one — to raise $25,000, which was matched by a donor.
“Many of us thought a goal of $7,000 to $10,000 would be a great achievement,” Edwin Laws said. But Davis wanted to reach higher, and in the end, they more than met that first “modest” goal.
“The Laura Laws Memorial Golf Tournament has been far more successful than I could have imagined, and is a tribute to the enthusiasm, dedication and teamwork of the Rotary Club of Statesville Fourth Creek,” he said.
Davis and Bates said it’s a labor of love for the club members as they witness the good the scholarship money does for recipients. The scholarships are distributed to students who are members of the Interact Club at various high schools and Mitchell Community College. Davis said 99 percent of the money stays in Iredell. The exception is $1,000 with that amount matched by the Taylorsville Rotary Club, for a student at Laws’ alma mater, Alexander Central.
But scholarships are just one of the ways the tournament assists children. In recent years, the tournament has also benefitted a variety of organizations, including the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children and Power Cross.
Lisa Familo, executive director at ICPYC, called the support of the club and the tournament a “beautiful partnership.” The proceeds help support programs such as the diaper pantry, which provides baby supplies to families in need, and its car seat safety checks. “We are really grateful for the support,” she said.
Power Cross founder Natalie Storment said the tournament and club are great partners and the support is a blessing.
“We are honored to be a local ministry serving here in Statesville to carry on such a great legacy of Mrs. Laws. Her impact on the community is evident every year when this tournament fills up and guests have such a great time in her memory,” Storment said.
Edwin Laws said the friendship and fellowship is just as important — if not more — than what takes place on the course.
“The wonderful annual fellowship is a credit to the year-round teamwork of the Fourth Creek Rotary Club, generous sponsors, the Statesville County Club, the golfers and guests including former Wake Forest golf coach Diane Dailey, former ACC basketball stars and coaches Phil Ford, Al Wood, Dereck Whittenburg, Bobby Cremins, Tom Burleson, NASCAR crew chief Jeff Hammons, the high school Interact clubs and the recipient organizations who volunteer their time to help with the tournament,” he said.
Since its inception in 2004, that modest $50,000 has risen to more than $1 million. Bates said the scholarship fund is now endowed, which means it will continue for years to come.
Bates said this year’s event, which can accommodate 30 teams, has nearly that many entries and has brought in more than half of the $75,000 goal. As of mid April, some $42,560 has been raised.
There is room for a few more teams and sponsors are welcome as well, Bates said.
Davis said this tournament reaches far beyond what happens on the course. “It’s not just about golf. It’s an event,” he said.
LEARN MORE
For more information or to take part, contact Davis at 704-650-6383, kdavis56@bellsouth.net; Bates at 704-928-6757, chris28625@yahoo.com; or Earl Spencer at 704-528-5553, earlthepearl@lpslamps.com.