Hesston College Athletics will host its annual Lark Open Golf Benefit on Saturday, June 2, at the Hesston Golf Course, giving participants a chance to show their support for the local collegiate athletic programs.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Hesston College Athletics for facility improvements, professional development opportunities and other departmental needs.
Teams of four will compete in the benefit, and registration can be found here. Participants are welcome to register a team of four or as individuals to be placed on a team. The cost is $100 per golfer, and includes green fees, a cart, gift bag, raffle tickets and a meal, which will follow the afternoon benefit.
Hole sponsorships are also available for $150 for individuals or $450 for corporate sponsors, which includes a team registration.
Lark Open organizers hope potential participants recognize the mutual benefits of having a college, and thereby, local collegiate sports, in small communities.
“We view ourselves very much as a part of the wider Hesston community,” said Rob Ramseyer, athletic director and vice president of Student Development. “Not every town the size of Hesston could sustain a college, but we have a supportive community that takes an interest in our student-athletes, and we want to make sure that for as much as we hope to have that community support, we’re also giving back.”
Hesston College Athletics has 14 varsity teams – women’s basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball, and men’s baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track and field. Student-athletes represent 41 percent of the college’s student population, making the athletic program one of the two largest programs for Hesston College.
A code of conduct, known as the Athletic Core Covenants, was adopted by Hesston College Athletics in 2016, outlining expectations of accountability, joy, engagement and community for Hesston College student-athletes, coaches, staff and administration. Lark athletic teams are also expected to perform acts of service in the community and beyond, and in the 2017-18 year have collected items for hygiene kits to be sent to countries in need with relief agency Mennonite Central Committee, hosted Special Olympics coaching clinics for soccer and basketball, completed projects at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp in Divide, Colo., and partnered with the Hesston Recreation Commission to operate a spring soccer clinic for area children.