Member Clubs
Tommy Barton—a Cox High School student
and two-time junior club champion at Prin-
cess Anne—stepped up and hit a couple of
drives long and straight.
Jennifer Garrott, membership director
at Princess Anne, said the affiliate event
raised almost $150,000 in donations, plus
an additional $20,000 at an auction the
night before the golf event. Both totals
exceeded the goals set by the club.
Neither Els nor club executives talk in
terms of specific dollar amounts that would
be required for Princess Anne to eventually
host a full-scale Golf Challenge event. But
they acknowledge it comes down to the
money that is raised to benefit both local
charities and Els’ foundation.
“If one event isn’t raising as much
money as we had hoped, and another one is
starting to bring in more, maybe we switch
them,” Els said. “It’s all about raising funds
for the charities.”
It was more than just funds that were
raised that day in Virginia Beach. Awareness
was raised, too.
Throughout the day, local autism schools
and organizations set up information tables,
providing an opportunity to talk with those
who were drawn by the opportunity to play
golf and meet with one of the most success-
ful players on the planet.
Sydney Mrowiec, executive director of
the Peninsula School for Austim (PSA)
in Newport News, said it is difficult to
put an adequate price tag on the value of
the exposure that comes with a celebrity
spokesperson. That’s why she was thrilled
to see the turnout for Els’ event in Vir-
ginia Beach.
“It’s a pretty phenomenal opportunity,”
Mrowiec said. “The goal of the day is
telling somebody about PSA. It’s not
fundraising or anything like that, just
awareness. When you get someone like
Ernie Els to come out, you have the
potential for visibility on a much larger
scale. It just does volumes for us.”
That’s the whole point, Els said.
In 2008, he began displaying an “Autism
Speaks” logo on his golf bag. It was his
first public acknowledgment that his
family—he and Liezl also have a daughter,
Sam—had been learning to deal with Ben’s
diagnosis. At the time, he told reporters,
“I’ve got a bit of a profile where it will grab
attention. That’s what this problem needs.”
vsga.org
Ernie Els and the Princess Anne Team raised approximately
$170,000 for autism awareness in August.
Mark Llobel, founding member of the
Since then, his work has been remarkable.
Virginia Autism Project, beamed with
His first Els for Autism Pro-Am, in 2009,
pride throughout the affiliate event in
raised $725,000 for a non-profit charter
August. His autistic grandson, Mark
school in Florida that educates autistic
Llobel III, had been chosen to lead the
children. The Els Center of Excellence
crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance before
originated as a plan for a new campus for
the event teed off.
that school, but it grew into a $30 million
As his grandson cheerfully played near
facility that has drawn families from around
the putting green,
the world.
showing a rather
Though Els’ finan-
remarkable ability to
cial means and inter-
repeatedly roll golf
national celebrity
balls into a cup from
obviously helped
a distance of more
build the foundation,
than 20 yards, Llobel
he said he and his
spoke with great
wife were no differ-
excitement about
ent than any other
being in the presence
parents when they
of Ernie Els.
learned that their son
Not because Els
had autism. No dif-
was a great golfer,
ferent, for example,
but because of what
than the Van Horns
—MARK LLOBEL,
he represents to
in Virginia Beach.
founding member of the
families affected by
“The help is out
Virginia Autism Project
autism.
there, so you just find
“He has such a
the information and
wide audience, and he just gives us a much
you self-educate,” Els said. “You learn by
greater level of awareness,” Llobel said.
learning. You learn from your kids—they
“What he does just goes so far toward
teach us. Because every situation is different.
helping our kids get what they need. We’re
Dutch’s Harper is on the autism spectrum,
fortunate to have someone like him on our
and my Ben is on the spectrum, but that
side.”
doesn’t mean our experiences are the same.”
“What he does just
goes so far toward
helping our kids
get what they need.
We’re fortunate to
have someone like
him on our side.”
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