Lamar Civitans hold annual golf tournament, recognize citizens
Earlier this month, the Lamar Civitans held their annual golf tournament at the Governors Run Golf Club. The event was an evening of laughter, mingling and raising money for a good cause, several in fact.
Jimmy Newsom, who has served as chairman of the tournament committee for the 15 years it has been held, said that the fundraiser helps the Civitans do a lot of good for their community.
Ethel Jane Reynolds, center left, was one of three special ladies recognized during the annual Civitan golf tournament held at the Governors Run Golf Club. Photo Contributed
“We provide five scholarships to five deserving students from Lamar that graduated Lamar High School or Mayo High School,” Newsom said. “After that, we provide generally at least five or six thousand dollars to Lamar High School, primarily to support their non-revenue sports programs.”
It is not just students in Lamar who benefit from the Civitans’ generosity either.
“We provide financing for a number of things, like the Town of Lamar Christmas lights, re-doing Railroad Avenue, just about anything that is possible” Newsom said. “We also have been very supportive of some individuals who have had a lot of hard luck and this kind of thing. After the first three or four big things, if we have the funds, we do as much as we can because we are very supportive and community-minded organization.”
As part of the annual tournament, the group recognizes a person who has made a difference in Lamar.
“We have a reception Thursday prior to our golf outing and we recognize an important individual or individuals who have been instrumental in making Lamar a better community in which to live,” Newsom said.
In years past, that has included people from Lamar who have made it big in professional sports.
“We have had a number of folk who have been NFL superstars,” Newsom said. “We have also a baseball player from Lamar; when we give this award, we are looking at people who have just been outstanding people period.”
This year, three women were recognized including Ethel Jane Reynolds.
“You can see them about town, picking up trash, watering flowers, taking care of different things that make the community better,” Newsom said. “Ms. Reynolds is a real flower and garden person and she has a crew of us that clean the library grounds every week or two when it needs it. The other two that we recognized along those lines who are instrumental in keeping Lamar clean and looking good are Fran Knotts and Janie Howle. Both of these folks are former teachers and Fran was a principal.”
Newsom said it was quite coincidental that all three women recognized were in the education profession.