“We had a successful Scholarship Disc Golf Tournament on Aug. 11, raising $4,000 for scholarships,” shared Northland Pioneer College (NPC) Friends and Family Executive Director Betsyann Wilson as she gave her report at the Navajo County Community College District Governing Board meeting on Aug. 21.

The tournament was held at the Four Seasons Disc Golf course, located at Snowflake Municipal Golf Course, where 50 players turned out to compete.

Twenty-six players, representing the top one percent of the national ranks of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) competed for a purse that included a $2,000 add-on donated by the towns of Snowflake and Taylor.

Thirty-four amateur players from around Arizona competed for prizes that included trophies designed and handcrafted by Tournament Director and PDGA Pro “Snowflake” Steve Johnston, and disc golf gear and apparel.

“Aside from the primary goal of raising scholarships for students at NPC, we sought to promote the tournament as a destination event, drawing players from around the state and benefitting the host communities of Snowflake and Taylor,” said Wilson.

Thirty-three of the 50 participants came from the Valley communities, Tucson, Flagstaff, and even Weatherford, Texas, while 17 were from Lakeside, Concho, Show Low, Taylor and Snowflake.

Wilson also shared that limited hotel space in Snowflake/Taylor was the only real draw back. “One of the large hotels is undergoing extensive renovations and wasn’t available for the tournament, but it should be ready by next year.”

Disc golf was invented in the 1960s as a cheaper, easier version of golf, using flying discs instead of balls. Easy to pick up and play, while being cheaper and faster than conventional golf, disc golf has become one of the fastest growing sports in the nation.

In a later interview, Wilson gave more details of the event, fully endorsing the sport because it is so family-oriented, affordable, and healthy. “It’s an excuse to take a beautiful walk in the outdoors while yakking with your group and throwing discs at targets. In fact, the entire disc golf community is, on the whole, incredibly magnanimous, they are passionate about sharing their sport and teaching others to love it too.”

Major sponsors for the tournament included Summit Healthcare and the towns of Snowflake and Taylor, Innova Discs, Lyle Power of Farm Bureau Insurance, Brimhall Realty, Pioneer Title, Black Diamond Auto Glass, and PDGA Pros Andrew Hassard, Ken Swafford and Stephen Dale. In addition to being a top-ranked PDGA pro, Hassard is a professor of history and geography at NPC.

“We absolutely could not have held this tournament without Steve Johnston, our incredible tournament director, and his wife, Kathy,” Wilson said. In addition to handcrafting the beautiful, unique trophies made of locally-sourced juniper, and embellished with disc golf figurines crafted from colored wire, Steve and Kathy hand tie-dyed 80 tournament T-shirts using NPC’s colors of royal blue and gold.

Since fall of 2014, NPC Friends and Family has awarded over 160 scholarships to NPC students. “This financial assistance allowed them to achieve their educational goals, earning their associate degree or completing the training needed for their careers,” Wilson explained, adding, “These scholarships clearly make a difference. Of the students who have received scholarships, 98 percent have either completed their academic goals with NPC or are still enrolled at the college. I cannot thank our supporters enough for making these life-changing opportunities available.”

For more information about fundraising events or creating or donating to a scholarship, please contact Betsyann Wilson at (928) 536-6245, email betsy.wilson@npc.edu, or consider making a gift today by visiting www.npcfriendsfamily.org.