19th Annual George A. Lottier Scholarship Golf Tournament

By Shekinah Harper, Editorial Intern

There are only a few reasons the top executives in Atlanta would take a day off — at the top of the list: Golf.

During the 19th Annual George A. Lottier Scholarship Golf Tournament held on Monday, June 2, at the Country Club of Roswell, companies such as Georgia Power, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley came together to support the education of future journalists. The George A. Lottier Scholarship Golf Foundation was created to preserve the memory of George A. Lottier and his love for the game, as well as his dedication toward helping students of color in the fields of communications, journalism and marketing.

The tournament began with the welcome ceremony, followed by the recognition of the summer scholarship recipients — Jocelynn Okezie and Shekinah Harper. Jocelyn Okezie is currently a junior at Valdosta State University studying marketing and Shekinah Harper is approaching her senior year at Florida International University as an honors college student majoring in journalism and minoring in business administration.

After the welcoming ceremony, the games began. The golfers didn’t waste time getting into their golf carts and heading for the course. They were prepared for a day of avoiding sand traps, losing golf balls, and aiming for the green. Returning teams such as Georgia Power were determined to win, while others just came to play.

While the professionals were enjoying their lunch provided by Chik-fil-A, the golf clinic began for those who weren’t as experienced. In a less intimidating setting, beginners were able to improve their techniques with a professional instructor. After the practice some said they might be ready to play with the professionals next year.

After a strenuous day of competition, the golfers brought the heat inside and prepared themselves for a silent auction with high-stake items such as a spa package from Spa Sydell and a BlackBerry from Verizon Wireless. The competition throughout the day didn’t divert attendees from the true goal of the tournament, to raise funds – to the tune of $6,000 — for the George A. Lottier Golf Foundation.

See the July issue for a full recap and tournament winners!