19 Years and Counting...

Who is getting excited for the 19th Annual REALTOR® Foundation Golf Outing on July 19?  Everyone’s hands, or clubs, should be in the air! We’ve got our sights set on blue skies, green grass, friends, golf, prizes, raffles, a silent auction, food, drinks and FUN!  


So, how did we get to 19? For me, it is the second year I have been the staff liaison for the Foundation Golf Committee. While looking through notes, budgets, player lists and more, I started thinking about how this outing has evolved over nearly two decades. Clearly, I thought it could make an interesting blog post, so I reached out to MIBOR’s CEO, Steve Sullivan, to get some insight on the evolution.


Did you know the Foundation golf outing grew out of an annual golfing event that MIBOR held for years? 


“It was actually a series of outings held once a month and culminating in a September event, called ‘The Calcutta’,” said Sullivan. “The MIBOR event drew interest from REALTORS® and affiliates alike and usually about 30 foursomes filled the field. It was primarily a male-dominated event at the time.”


According to Steve, in the early to mid-nineties as the REALTOR® Foundation was getting resurrected, the idea of combing the “Calcutta” with a fundraiser was floated and eventually led to what is now the annual Foundation outing.  


“Initially, the event attracted a similar number of players.  However, as the Foundation became more visible, the outing became more successful and visible itself,” said Sullivan. “Benefitting charities through the Foundation became the goal.  More female members became involved, the committee became more engaged and it has flourished since.”


In the early days, courses were selected around the MIBOR market area, playing at some of the best public and private courses.  For several years, the Foundation held the event at Highland Country Club, Broadmoor Country Club and Country Club of Indianapolis. As the leaders of the event pushed to make more money for the Foundation, and as it grew in popularity, the outing was moved to Eagle Creek.  With that we saw a huge increase in the number of players.  The move to Eagle Creek made it possible to expand the field to two full courses. Both are still used today.  


“There have always been fun contests and efforts to raise additional monies for the Foundation and its homeless mission,” said Sullivan. “Several ‘celebrities’ have been dunked in the name of homelessness.  One of the most memorable was Fred Tucker ‘going down’ in his tuxedo on a sultry afternoon in July.”  


As we approach the 19th year of this event, there are both similarities and differences. Our mission is the same - to transition central Indiana individuals from homelessness or inadequate or unsafe housing to permanent solutions that will positively change their lives. 


Support continues to grow each year, and we continue to work on engaging more members so they can learn more about the Foundation, and help us raise money for our grant recipients. 


The format of the game has changed to a Florida scramble with ‘second chances’ available on one course, and straight play on the other so we appeal to both crowds. We’ve also built up friendly competition with ‘Beat the Pro’ and ‘Beat the CEO’ contests and hole-in-one prizes. If you get a hole-in-one this year you could actually win a car!


If you haven’t registered to play yet, now is the time! If you aren’t a golfer, there is still an opportunity to be involved. Volunteer for the event or purchase a dinner ticket and come join us for the closing ceremonies, silent auction and dinner! 


We are proud to continue our commitment to the fight against homelessness -  won’t you join us?  




Lacey Everett
MIBOR Communications Specialist
laceyeverett@mibor.com