The Quail Hollow Golf Course hosted the area's 40th annual 'Toys For Tots' golf tournament on Saturday.
The event saw four-person scramble teams compete in a shotgun start at 10 a.m. A McComb Market-sponsored breakfast got the day started before a host of players took to the course in hopes of bringing home first-place honors and various prizes.
The tournament was originally started by Ted Tullos in an effort to provide local foster kids with gifts for Christmas through a festive and enjoyable event.
He says it all began when he moved to the McComb area and saw that there were no holiday happenings for less-fortunate children in the area.
“So knowing how to run a golf tournament from being a pro for eight years, I started a fundraiser centered around it,” Tullos explained. “Coca-Cola got behind it financially, and then enough people joined to where it has just continued to grow.”
All proceeds from the $100 player entry fee go towards St. Andrew’s Mission to assist in the purchase of toys, clothing and other presents for foster children in the Pike and Lincoln County areas.
With the help of the Department of Human Services, kids in need of gifts are located, and local Girl Scouts go out to purchase items and wrap them.
The impact this tournament has on the local community is profound, with it really being a feel-good event that combines an enjoyable activity with a great cause.
“It just warms the heart,” Tullos said. “Everybody gets involved, and they know they’re helping make Christmas great for a lot of children.”
All in all, bringing the Pike County community together for a heartwarming mission and some friendly competition is always a positive in Tullos’ eyes. And he added that the reason he’s so passionate about putting this on each year is because he remembers how impactful Christmas was on him as a child.
“I loved getting Christmas gifts, so what more could I want than to try to make sure other kids get the same feeling?” Tullos said.
Tullos, along with the help of longtime Course Director Jane James, plans on hosting the 41st edition of the tournament at the same time and place next year, and he believes that the popularity of the event will only continue to grow.
“As long as people allow it to continue, I’m going to do this as long as I can,” Tullos said. “And hopefully when I’m not here, somebody will pick it up and go with it.”
