Despite some much needed rain, nearly all of the registered 165 golfers took part in the annual Fore the Flames Golf Tournament on April 28, raising more than $41,000. Proceeds will support student financial aid and the EMS athletics program.

The tournament took place at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg and was made possible by 37 sponsors and 20 volunteer parents, alumni and Alumni Board members.

Golfers competed for greens fees certificates, Flames logowear, and Harrisonburg Downtown Dollars. A raffle for a stay at an Outer Banks condo added to the competition, raising $770 for new state championship banners for display in the gym. The condo was donated by Trevor Parmer ’90 and Tasha Browne; Parmer is golf committee co-chair with  Mattias Clymer ’06.

The rest of the planning team included Ann Eberly ’64, Stephanie Forbes, Megan Helbert, Joy Kingsley-Ibeh ’93, Eric Martin ’72, Ramona Rios, Lisa Shank (hospitality co-chair),  Chris Slonaker (EMS golf team coach), Kelsey Swartzentruber (hospitality co-chair), Sara Tranum (volunteer coordinator). EMS staff: Erin Kennedy Hess, Trisha Blosser, Andrew Gascho, Paul Leaman, and Andrea Wenger

Signature sponsors:

• Asa and Kathleen Graves, scoreboard
• F&M Bank, scoreboard
• Gaines Group Architects, beverage cart
• Harman Realty, lunch sponsor
• Interchange, putting green
• LD&B, Erie Insurance, title sponsors
• PBMares, putting green
• Momentum Earthworks, lunch sponsor
• Rockingham Redi-Mix, Flames Family
• VistaShare, hospitality
• Weaver’s Flooring America, hospitality

Royal Blue Hole sponsors

• Harman Construction, Inc.
• Park Rose Village
• Park View Federal Credit Union
• R.S. Monger and Sons, Inc.
• Secure Solar Futures

Hole contest sponsors

• Beachy Arehart, PLLC
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Eastern Mennonite University
• Hank’s Grille and Catering
• Maplewood Valley Ranch
• MSL Consulting

Hole-in-One contest sponsors

• North Mountain Clinic, LLC
• Schlabach Drywall, Inc.
• Venture Builders, Inc.

Student support sponsors

• Weyers Cave Medical
• Suter Engineering, PC
• Asa and Kathleen Graves
• VMRC Foundation

In-kind sponsors:

• WBTX Radio, media sponsor
• Eddie Edwards Signs
• Pepsi (PCVA)
• EMS Food Science Nutrition Class

Save the date for 2024
Next year’s Fore the Flames Golf Tournament will take place Friday, May 3. Learn more. Sponsors and volunteer planners are welcome any time! Email Trisha Blosser, blossert@easternmennonite.org.