Fish & Loaves Food Pantry hosts 10th fundraising golf outing

TAYLOR, MICHIGAN – Fish & Loaves, a Taylor-based community food pantry that helps serve the nutritional needs of seven Southeastern Michigan communities, will hold its 10th annual "Par for the Course" fundraiser golf outing on Saturday, September 15, Lakes of Taylor Golf Club, 25505 Northline Road.

The largest client-choice food pantry in the State of Michigan, Fish & Loaves relies on fundraising events, donations, food drives and volunteerism throughout the year to keep its shelves stocked. The golf outing is the pantry's largest fundraiser of the year.

"We're looking forward to another great event," said Fish & Loaves Executive Director Mary Hollens. "This year's golf outing comes at a critical time for our community. Our food shelves are in dire need of restocking as children head back to school in September – and the need for food-related assistance continues with no decrease in sight. The golf outing supplies a big portion of the much-needed dollars that allow us to keep serving those in need in our communities."

Hollens said it takes more than $20,000 a month for the nonprofit organization to provide food to the needy residents in the its service area, which includes Allen Park, Brownstown, Dearborn Heights, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor and Woodhaven.

The outing, a four-person scramble, will begin with an 8 a.m. registration and continental breakfast, followed by a 9 a.m. shotgun start. The $100 per golfer fee includes breakfast, 18 holes of golf (with a cart), lunch, prizes for the winning team, raffle prizes, dinner, a two-hour bar service, prizes for "closest to the pin" and "closest to the line" and more.

Golfers can register online by visiting the "events" page at the website http://www.flcfp.org. For more information, or to register by phone, call Fish and Loaves at (734) 992-6284.

For the second year in a row, organizers are inviting firefighters to challenge for the Firefighters Trophy, won by the Taylor Fire Department in 2017. Firefighters should enter their foursomes by calling (734) 992-6284.

In addition to golfers, organizers are seeking sponsors for the event. Hollens said she is grateful to those that have supported the pantry and its fundraisers throughout the 10-year history of Fish & Loaves.

"This is a true community effort," Hollens said. "We have been blessed to receive the support of some great sponsors so far, including Fritz Enterprises, which serves as our presenting sponsor, UAW-Region 1A, Two Men and a Truck and more. The leadership of these organizations knows the importance of making sure food is available to those in need. And with one in five kids not getting enough food regularly, child hunger remains a priority – and a formidable challenge – for us."

Additional company and individual sponsorship opportunities are still available and welcome. For more information on these opportunities, contact Fish and Loaves at (734) 992-6284.