University of Tennessee Athletics
Baseball Report: Dave Serrano Golf Classic
October 10, 2014 | Baseball
Photo GalleryKNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The inaugural Dave Serrano Golf Classic, presented by Regal Entertainment Group, proved to be nothing short of an impactful event on Friday, raising funds and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee while providing a unique opportunity for Tennessee student-athletes to interact with former players as well as leaders in the Greater Knoxville community.
Head Coach Dave Serrano, who also serves on the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters, credited the local community members, sponsorship partners and participants for making the first-year event a huge success.
"I'm honored that so many people recognized the reasoning behind this golf tournament," Serrano said. "This was one way for me to really make an impact with Big Brothers Big Sisters and bring light to the organization. I want everyone to have a great time and leave here with great memories but at the end of the day, it's about the kids that we're helping."
With over 100 children currently on the waiting list for the organization's mentoring program, Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee Doug Kose expressed profound appreciation for the level of involvement and participation at the tournament, hosted at Willow Creek Golf Club in Knoxville.
"We are ecstatic with how things have turned out in year one," Kose said. "We have heard from not only the good people golfing today but people in the community who saw ads that are interested in taking the next step to become a volunteer with our program. For us, it's always a recruiting mentality and this was a big day."
Among the volunteers, the entire Tennessee Baseball team arrived bright and early to lend a hand, assisting with everything from parking to carrying clubs for tournament golfers. For most, the event provided them a first opportunity to meet community members and former Vols in attendance, including Scot Drucker, Derek Tharpe and Craig Cobb.
"Getting to interact with the alumni and VFLs has been interesting," senior catcher Tyler Schultz said. "It's important to have a relationship with our community and with the players who came before us. They are the ones who come out and support us during the season so this is a way for us to give back."
"We reached out to our alumni friends and teammates to support the program, support a good cause and play some golf," said Drucker, who helped the Vols to the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2004. "I flew in from South Florida specifically for this event and I think it's a nice thing that Coach Serrano and the rest of the staff are doing."
During a luncheon immediately following the tournament, Serrano took the time to personally thank sponsors, golfers, Kose and members of Big Brothers Big Sisters along with his own student athletes. For the team, the tournament marks the beginning of another year of community service initiatives in order to reach people in the community.
"I think everything we have them involved in helps them realize the impact they can bring," Serrano said. "To me, this opens doors for whenever they move on. They can give back to the community and continue to do special things for people."
