Copiah-Lincoln Community College here in Natchez has been educating the Miss-Lou community for almost 50 years.  I’ve heard it mentioned many times that Southwest Mississippi is very fortunate to have such an outstanding educational facility in our backyard.

Every year high school and adult students discover what a great advantage having the college here to help them further their education.

The Miss-Lou also is realizing not just the educational asset that Co-Lin offers, but the economic benefit as well. The campus employs about 60 full and part-time staff with an annualized payroll of approximately $2.5 million and serves an average of almost 700 full and part-time students over a 12-month period. These students find it very convenient and beneficial to stay at home and get a great education.

It is no wonder, then, that I am proud to serve on the Co-Lin Foundation Board of Directors, which brings me to my purpose of writing. As a board member, I see first-hand the needs students have at our Natchez campus. Many students must have some form of assistance to better themselves and go to college. However, not all student expenses are always covered by financial aid and grants. This is where our foundation comes in.

Each year, we award scholarships to several deserving incoming sophomores. I have seen the smiles on their faces as their names are called to receive the scholarships on Awards Night. We are able to give these scholarships because of fundraisers. The biggest one for the Natchez campus is the Natchez Golf Classic now in its 19th year.

We need you to help participate in the tournament even if you don’t play golf. We need to have teams sign up to play. A corporate sponsorship for a four-person team is $550, which includes a hole sign, T-shirt for the players, along with two mulligans for each player. A player/hole sponsorship is $150, which includes a hole sign, T-shirt, and two mulligans. A hole sign sponsorship is $75. An individual player is $100 and includes a T-shirt and two mulligans. We have a corporate team trophy and prizes for low gross and low net teams.

The tournament will be April 18 at Beau Pre’ Country Club. Lunch and registration start at 11 a.m. with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Carts are provided for all players.

This is a great tournament, with lots of fun, food, beverages and prizes both on and off the course. And, it helps some very deserving students that may not be able to attend otherwise.  Brett Oubre, Kenny Jackson and their team at Natchez Toyota will be sponsoring the on-course hole-in-one prize and are hoping to give away a 2019 Toyota Corolla. We will also have other on-course prizes and some great door prizes.

I have heard year after year that Co-Lin puts on one of the best golf tournaments around. It’s true! I have played in the tournament as well as helped the Co-Lin folks at registration.

So, please help. Sponsors already have signed up and players are registering. We would love to have you with us on that day, either in person or in sponsorship. We can e-mail you a brochure or send you one by mail. You can contact Nancy McFarland at Co-Lin by calling 601-446-1215, or nancy.mcfarland@colin.edu.

Bill Salters Sr., vice president & CFO of Concordia Bank & Trust Company, is a member of the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation Board of Directors.