Funds Were Raised At The 25th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational
Submitted By: Josh Milton
Scott Fischer Charities is proud to present Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida with a check for $30,000 to feed children every weekend during the school year when kids often go without food. The money was raised through the generosity of sponsors and golfers at the 25th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational organized each year by Scott Fischer and Lisa Farrell-Sands. Fischer and Farrell-Sands presented the check to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida’s Executive Director Cecilia St. Arnold at Villas Elementary School in Fort Myers with several students and administrators in attendance.
“We were so humbled by the continued generosity of Slaw Dog Invitational sponsors and golfers at our 25th annual event,” said Fischer, founder of Scott Fischer Charities and owner of Scott Fischer Enterprises. “Together, we raised more than we ever have in the event’s history, which allows us to make an even greater community impact.”
Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida currently provides 201,400 meals to 5,900 children at 27 schools across Southwest Florida on weekends for an entire school year so they can return to class every Monday morning with a full stomach and an eager mind.
“With more and more families facing food insecurity, generous donations from the tournament help provide tens of thousands of meals to local children in need,” said St. Arnold. “No child should have to go hungry.”
This cause is near and dear to Fischer’s heart. As a founding member of the Board of Directors for Blessings in a Backpack Southwest Florida, Fischer hopes to continue to raise money to feed more and more children each year.
Fischer and Farrell-Sands have carried on the invitational tournament in memory of Paul Sands and his legacy impact on the community. What started on a whim as two close friends reflected on the upcoming holidays after a round of golf, has grown into one of the most highly anticipated annual charity golf tournaments. The first Slaw Dog Invitational raised $5,000, and by 2021, $106,000 was raised in its 25th year.
Generous donations have helped to consecutively surpass the event’s annual fundraising goals. David and Charlyn Veracka, representing the entire Rockstar Harley-Davidson family, upped the game by donating $50,000, in 2020, and committed to matching up to the first $50,000 raised in 2021 hoping to help the event set another record.
The 25th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational was held on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at the Cypress Lake Country Club.
SCOTT FISCHER CHARITIES
Scott Fischer Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization founded by Scott Fischer in 2007 out of his passion for his community. The organization has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support causes and organizations such as Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Any Soldier, REIS Scholarship Fund, Junior Achievement, United Way, PACE Center for Girls, as well as countless other groups supporting veterans, children and the disabled.
ABOUT THE ANNUAL PAUL SANDS MEMORIAL SLAW DOG INVITATIONAL
The Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational is an annual tournament held every December at the beautiful Cypress Lake Country Club in Fort Myers to benefit youth charities in Southwest Florida. Paul Sands, a prominent community figure and successful commercial real estate broker with a love for slaw dogs, initiated the tournament with a desire to help local youth around the holidays. Today, his dear friends Scott Fischer and Lisa Farrell-Sands continue the event in his memory. It has since grown to be one of the most impactful and highly anticipated tournaments in the area, raising nearly $400,000 since its inception in 1996. For more information about the Slaw Dog Invitational, visit https://www.sfe-us.com/slaw-dog-invitational/.
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Blessings in a Backpack serves 5,900 students through 27 school-based programs located throughout Lee and Collier Counties. In these schools, test scores, reading skills, positive behavior, general health, and school attendance have improved dramatically due in part to students receiving the nourishment they need throughout the week and the weekends.
A $115 donation will feed a child for one full school year. For more information, visit https://swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org/. To make a tax-deductible donation, mail checks to P.O. Box 61402 Fort Myers, FL 33906.
