Claire Bigelow Nalley writes –
I was invited to fly to Saint Cloud Minnesota on August 11 to attend an annual golf fundraiser that benefits Project for the People of Paraguay. My friend Sheri, the director of the organization and our partner, offered to give all proceeds to Manitos – a generous offer as she has a few priorities of her own, including her feeding program, children sponsorships and housing projects all running.
Claire and Sheri at registration
6th hole
We raised over $6,000. It was a blast. I sat at the 6th hole as the 26 “teams” came through for a chance to bet against the golf pro (whose drive was closest to the hole), with a double your money incentive. All bets were given to Manitos. Interesting how wallets opened up (for the men mostly) when offered the opportunity to outshine the pro. We laughed when one of the players looked out over the pond that separated the tee from the green, sighed, and said “Might as well just drop this ball in the water. Here, take my money.” I got a chance to practice my own swing for the pro (too terrified to hit the ball)
Fake golf swing
At the end of the day, we all sat down to a seated dinner in the clubhouse to give out various prizes. I was able to tell the 120 people attending about Manitos. I discovered that many people could relate to our story and I had several moving conversations with people touched by cancer. There is some comfort in the realization that one’s story is not unique. In any case, as I was driven back to my hotel by Sheri, we passed through the beautiful green countryside, dotted with farms. A very far cry from the lovely red-dirt countryside of Paraguay but connected nevertheless.