Northside Neighborhood House is hosting its 25th - and last ever - Ladies Golf Classic June 2. Just because it's the last one, though, doesn't mean it shouldn't be a cause for celebration.
Longtime volunteer Bonnie Cummins, the creator and chief organizer of the event, is stepping down from volunteering at the local nonprofit which offers classes and support to the community through programs like adult GED assistance, parenting and cooking classes and more. Her husband recently got out of a several-month stay in the hospital, and the family will be moving to Florida to be closer to family in the coming months.
Cummins isn't sad, though. Twenty-five years of fundraising success is something she said she's proud of.
Bonnie Cummins, right, stands with Northside Neighborhood House CEO Rachel Gammon at Cummins' retirement party."I don't even play golf myself," she laughed. "The whole family does, though. We got to talking when my son was working for a golf store in Hixson how there really weren't any ladies' tournaments, and decided that would make a good fundraiser for us."
Cummins and her son organized the inaugural event, but she was left on her own for the next 24 after he moved to Knoxville.
Despite it being the last-ever Ladies Golf Classic, NNH Chief Development Officer Brianne Lalor said they're looking to go out with a bang. Additional advertising and social media posts have gone out in an attempt to make it the biggest tournament yet.
"This has been [Cummins'] baby for 25 years, and we figured it would be fitting for it to go out with her retirement," said Lalor.
Cummins is a 35-year veteran of volunteering at NNH, Lalor said. She's known by countless in the community as "Mother Elf" for her years of service during the holiday season collecting and handing out Christmas gifts to underprivileged children in the community. She also trained to volunteer as a case manager, which she did for years, guiding and directing people in need to resources to help get them back on their feet or manage a crisis.
"We want to help people on a neighbor-to-neighbor basis," Cummins said. "That's always been important to me - asking how we can help people and come together as a community."
She said she knows NNH will be in capable hands even without the Ladies Golf Classic. Lalor said NNH's annual Not-so-Silent Auction in October brings in over $100,000 - typically with a sell-out crowd - and the money raised goes a long way in providing for all of the organization's programs and functions.
If anything, Cummins said she hopes her story will encourage more people to volunteer and maybe even start up their own annual tradition with NNH.
"The staff has always been excellent to work with, and our director Rachel [Gammon] has been wonderful to me," said Cummins. "Working with the Northside Neighborhood House has done so much for my life."
The tournament June 2 is being held at Creek's Bend Golf Course. The entry fee is $75 and includes lunch. To sign up, visit nnhouse.org/golf.