WAGRAM — When the Gay Garris Rhyne Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2017, one of the committee’s goals was to eventually make it an endowment.
This year, that milestone will come to fulfillment for the scholarship fund and chairman Richard Wallace.
Honoring the former Richmond County educator, the seventh annual Gay Garris Rhyne Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11.
Returning to the golf course for the third year in a row, following four years as a volleyball tournament, the fundraiser event will follow a captain’s choice format at Deercroft Golf Club.
Garris Rhyne, who was a lifelong Richmond County resident, passed away unexpectedly in 2015. She was a health information technology instructor in Richmond Community College’s Allied Health program.
Having graduated from Richmond Senior High School in 1982, Garris Rhyne graduated from UNC Chapel Hill before returning home to work and build her career and family.
Wallace, along with Garris Rhyne’s brother Kyle Garris and mother Norma Gwen Garris, established the RichmondCC scholarship in Aug. 2017.
To date, the scholarship has raised $17,600. Last year’s golf tournament raised the most money in a single year, $4600, and Wallace expects this year’s event to surpass that.
Since its founding, the $500 scholarship benefits two students each school year, one during the fall semester and the other in the spring. Wallace will be attending a ceremony this week to help give out the first scholarship.
Requirements for the scholarship include being enrolled in RichmondCC’s Allied Health program, as well as being a single working parent with at least a 2.75 GPA.
“If Gay wasn’t the person she was, this wouldn’t be going the way it is,” Wallace said. “She was a home girl who graduated from Carolina and came back to Richmond County. This fundraiser has been a godsend and we’re looking forward to it going over $20K.
“That was my goal when we first started, and I will continue to have golf tournaments as long as I can to raise more money,” he continued. “Everything is still going strong, it’s amazing. The golf tournaments have turned into reunions for those of who grew up with Gay.”
This year’s golf tournament will feature three-player teams with the shotgun start set for 9 a.m. The entry fee is $180 per team.
Wallace said that 32 teams are already pre-registered, a full slate of competitors that maxed out over a month ago.
Since this year’s tournament is being played on Veterans Day, anyone can sponsor a veteran for $60. So far, six veterans have been sponsored.
A 50/50 drawing will also be held, door prizes will be awarded and food and drinks will be available for purchase. The winning team will win a $300 payout, while the second-place trio will take home $200.
“This has been the easiest year in terms of getting all of our teams to sign up,” Wallace said. “Having a golf tournament has really taken off and allowed us to remember Gay and raise money for a great cause.
“People have been so kind with donations, sponsorships and door prizes,” he continued. “And we thought sponsoring a veteran would be a cool thing to do this year.”
Already planning ahead, Wallace said he’s booked next year’s memorial tournament for Nov. 2.
For those unable to attend, or who want to donate to the scholarship, Wallace said donations will be accepted through the RichmondCC Foundation.
Donations can be mailed to the RichmondCC Foundation at 1042 West Hamlet Avenue and must be noted to be for the Gay Garris Rhyne Memorial Scholarship.
Questions can be directed to Wallace, who can be reached at 980-333-5347 or richardjwallace2@gmail.com.
