B U S I N E SS
BY: DRAKE DIACON
2021 Randy Laffoon
Scholarship Golf Tournament
Randy Laffoon, far left, at a previous year’s tournament.
Charity golf tournament supports young athletes
O
n Monday, May 10, Norman Youth Soccer Association will host the 2021 Randy Laffoon Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament at the Trails Golf Course in Norman. The event is a N.Y.S.A. fundraiser to provide scholarship opportunities for athletes who would otherwise be unable to compete because of financial obstacles. The longstanding fund was renamed after late Norman businessman, Randy Laffoon, who passed away last September after an extended bout with cancer. N.Y.S.A. Executive Director Don Rother says the name change was the only logical conclusion. “When you think about someone who helped make sure every kid could afford to play soccer in Norman, you think of Randy Laffoon,” Rother said. “Obviously Randy did a whole lot in Norman well beyond soccer, but if there was ever a way to honor him with N.Y.S.A. this is undoubtedly it. “He gave so much time and money to this association over the years, even when his boys weren’t playing. It’s absolutely something he’d want his name on.”
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Wife of the late Norman businessman and philanthropist, Debbie Laffoon, says this is just the type of cause Randy raised money for many times over and was something near to his heart. “He had a love of Norman, a love of kids and a love of sports,” she said. “He coached youth sports for years long before we ever had kids because he loved what it meant for a child’s growth as well as their self-confidence. Through the years he never wanted a kid not to be able to play simply because their family couldn’t afford it.” The charity golf tournament will feature an entry fee of $500 for a four-person scramble team with add-ons fees such as mulligans and to “spin the wheel” on a par-5 for a chance to automatically score a hole-in-one on the given hole. Participants can also pay per player for closest to the pin, longest drive and longest kick contests for an extra $10 per contest. The event begins with registration opening at 9 a.m. and a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. If you are interested in competing in the tournament or simply donating to the Randy Laffoon Memorial Scholarship Fund, contact N.Y.S.A. at 405-573-0070. –BSM
