It’s difficult to believe, but it’s true. Another school year is about to start for area students, including those at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez.

Enrollment has increased steadily over the years, exceeding 950 students several times. The campus recently opened the $4.2 million Howell C. Garner Instructional Center, an amazing state-of-the-art facility for health care programs and academic classes. In those years, Co-Lin has forged partnerships with private and corporate supporters, who have provided financial and technical assistance.

That brings me to my point about community support for Co-Lin Natchez. The Co-Lin Foundation, the non-profit arm of the college, has just completed its 13th annual Co-Lin Natchez Golf Classic, one of the most successful golf tournaments in this area. I’ve been associated with the foundation for years, even serving as its president.

The tournament is the chief fundraiser for the Natchez campus fund, which provides money for student scholarships and faculty development. In these tight economic times, such assistance is critical and essential to the ongoing success of the campus. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of our corporate sponsors of this year’s tournament, many of whom have been on board since the tournament started 13 years ago. We are very appreciative of their help and support and without it the tournament would certainly not be the success it is today.

We also want to thank the many player/hole and hole sponsors.

Each year the tournament seems to get better and better, and the outpouring of players and sponsors is testament to that.

New this year was a ball drop by the Natchez Area Chapter of the Co-Lin Alumni Association, headed by Brian Fisher and the Natchez Alumni group.

We have already begun planning for the 2012 Natchez Classic.

If you’d like to be one of those sponsors and help a terrific educational institution, please contact Mark LaFrancis, director of public information at 601-446-1205.

Bill Salters is a member of the Co-Lin Foundation Board of Trustees.