On Thursday, the La Porte community gathered together at Beechwood Golf Course for the 44th Annual Play Day Golf Outing hosted by the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce. It was a beautiful day for golf and supporting local businesses in the City of La Porte.
The Chamber hosts events such as these throughout the year, showcasing how much the Chamber cares about supporting local commerce throughout the county. All proceeds from today’s event will go to support programs for business retention and expansion efforts, workshops, networking opportunities, and events for the community to enjoy throughout the year, such as the Salute to Business Luncheon they are hosting in November and the New Teacher Welcome Luncheon in August respectively.
“It’s a really relaxed day, really friendly and open, so this event is just one of the more fun ways that we get to connect with our members,” said Drew Gesse, Marketing Director for the Chamber. “It also is a way to raise money for our programs. One of the things we are really focused on right now is workforce development and job growth. We’re doing a lot of different things to improve our local workforce, like a job hiring event and the Hire A Slicer program. So it’s just a great event that helps our members connect with us and our programs.”
Every year, the Chamber outdoes itself and continues to gain popularity around La Porte County. This year’s Golf Outing marks the 8th Annual Big Cup Tournament, which made for much fun on the course featuring larger targets for players to aim. In addition to the expanding the target size, the Chamber hosts an array of fun with the various contests they hold, making for some friendly competition.
“We were here last year and volunteered, so we wanted to come back and help out,” said DeeDee Wood, who attended the Golf Outing with McKinnies Realty and also volunteered throughout the day. “It’s a great course and everyone is always in great spirits, so we’re looking forward to a fun day supporting the community.”
Contests included a Hole-in-One Contest sponsored by Sauers Buick-GMC, the Longest Drive Contest sponsored by Schmitt & Kaylor CPAs, the Fastest Hole Contest sponsored by the South Bend International Airport, and a Putting Contest sponsored by Lakeshore Promotions and Gifts. Not only is this outing a benefit for the Chamber, it also shows how much support the community has for each other and the respect everyone has for keeping La Porte businesses strong.
“We have 23 teams here today participating in the event,” said Rita Mrozinski, President and CEO of the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a great way to get out, network, and have a great time with other local businesses.”
It is all about people supporting one another and showing they care about what happens in their community- the golf is just a bonus for golfers such as Nate Gonzales, from Portage who attended the event with his company Hickman, Williams & Company.
“You got to keep everything local; buy local, shop local, build local,” Gonzales said. “So, we come out here to La Porte. We think the Chamber does such a great job showing their support for local businesses and we think it’s a great event to be a part of. Think local, shop local.”
This event has received much attention over the years, and the Chamber is hoping to keep the tradition alive for years to come. They love having the community out, all while having a wonderful time supporting one another.
To learn more about the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce, please visit their website!