Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation’s Beaver Pride golf events raised over $140,000 to benefit BSU Athletics scholarships and greatest-need projects this summer.
Nine golf tournaments were hosted at courses in Bemidji, Walker, Park Rapids and Oakdale, Minn. with proceeds supporting BSU Athletics’ general fund, women’s athletics, men’s golf, men’s hockey, football, men’s basketball and baseball.
The Bemidji Town & Country Club played host to four tournaments, including the long-running Gordy Skaar (44th annual) and Galen Nagle (24th annual) Memorial Tournaments.
The Gordy Skaar tournament supports scholarships for BSU student-athletes through the Beaver Pride fund and an endowment created in the name of the late Gordy Skaar. The Galen Nagle, named in remembrance of the late Beavers Hockey great, benefits the BSU men’s hockey program and an endowment in Nagle’s name.
The Beaver Best Ball (benefitting BSU men’s golf) and the Howe-Welle Women’s Athletics Golf Tournament (befitting BSU’s women’s athletics programs) were also held at Bemidji’s lakeside course.
Other tournaments included the Jeff “Bird” McBride Memorial (Oak Marsh Golf Course, Oakdale) Ken Traxler Memorial (Castle Highlands Golf Course, Bemidji) and the Ed Sauer Memorial (Tianna Country Club, Walker), plus events supporting the BSU men’s basketball (Headwaters Golf Club, Park Rapids) and baseball programs (Castle Highlands Golf Course, Bemidji).
All told, over 1,000 golfers participated in the nine tournaments. Dozens of local, regional and national businesses provided support for the tournaments through event sponsorships, merchandise donations and other in-kind support.
“We thank all who were sponsors, players or volunteers for the various events,” Kari Kantack Miller, BSU director of annual giving for athletics, said. “Without all of you, none of this would be possible and we wouldn’t have the needed support for BSU student-athletes.”
More information about this past summer’s golf events, including photos, can be found at bsualumni.org/news
