Stories
IUSM Golf Outing to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis
July 31, 2014
A new event presented by students at the IU School of Medicine on Sunday, Aug. 10, will help support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis.
Kate O'Connor, a fourth-year medical student at the IU School of Medicine, discusses the danger of loud headphones with children from the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis during a health fair in 2013.
The IU School of Medicine Class of 2017 will host the first IUSM Golf Outing starting at 1 p.m. at the Hickory Stick Golf Club in Greenwood, Indiana. This is the first year for this medical student-organized event.
"There currently wasn't anything here quite like a golf outing, although IUSM does have a large number of extracurricular programs and events," said Ross Schumacher, vice-president for the Class of 2017, who hopes to make the event an annual tradition at the school. "We thought this would be a fun way to get local alumni, students, faculty and the community involved in raising money for a great cause."
"A number of people in the IUSM Student Golf Committee really enjoy the game, or have previous experience organizing a golf charity event," added Nathan Kim, co-organizer of the IUSM Golf Outing. "We felt that a golf outing is great opportunity to create lasting memories and at the same time serve a greater cause."
Organizers chose to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis because helping young and underserved populations in Indiana is a major goal of the IUSM Class of 2017, Schumacher said.
"We're passionate about the importance of being an active member in our community, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis has demonstrated and continues to be a significant force in providing for the needs of young Hoosiers in Indianapolis," Kim said. "We're proud to support their efforts and look forward to continue developing our mutual interest in supporting children and their futures."
Chad Tucheck, a third-year medical student at the IU School of Medicine, speaks with children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America aims to help all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. The Indianapolis Clubs have been serving youth in the city for over 121 years, and there are currently 10 active clubs in the area.
IUSM student Samer Kawak leads student involvement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America at the School's Indianapolis campus. Last year, he said IUSM students held a medical workshop for children from Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis introducing them to different aspects of healthcare, including the importance of getting exercise and eating right.
"We had 50 to 60 kids participate," said Kawak, who works activity to increase his fellow student's engagement in the organization. "All these minds were curious and asking questions. It was very special."
“We're thankful to our friends at IUSM," said Rick Whitten, executive director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. "From community health fairs to teaching our youth about careers in the medical field, and now the golf outing, their continuous support of our Club kids is greatly appreciated. We look forward to working together more in the future."
A representative from the Outrun the Sun joins the IUSM Dermatology student interest group at last year's health fair for children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis.
In addition to selecting a charity, Kim said a top priority for IUSM Golf Outing organizers was selecting a venue large enough to welcome the greatest number of participants from the IUSM and Indianapolis community.
"One of the biggest challenges was picking the right golf course to allow for as many people to come as possible," he said. "In addition to creating the event for the IU community, we wanted this to be an exciting event for the incoming class of 2018 to come out and interact with upperclassmen. We were also eager to create an event that provides an opportunity to unite students from all nine IUSM campuses."
The 2014 Golf Outing is open to the public and registration includes a catered lunch, including draft beer from Bier Brewery, golf cart use, prizes and a t-shirt. There will also be a silent auction with items provided by Handle Bar Indy, Howl at the Moon, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis Zoo.
Registration is $300 per four-person team or $75 per person. The registration deadline is Aug. 1. To sign up, visit the registration page.
The other half of the funds raised from the IUSM Golf Outing will go to support the Class of 2017 Match Day event.
