If you want to get something done, sometimes you may have to simply take a leap of faith.

Patrick O’Donnell — a 2010 Shadyside High School graduate — did just that in March when he walked into Chase Bank and started The Cindy O’Donnell Foundation in memory of his mother, who had died on Christmas Eve of 2009 after a short bout with cancer.

“I started the foundation to help make sure my mom’s name remained active in the community,” O’Donnell said. “She always giving back to the community in some way even though she wasn’t originally from there. Whether it was through football moms, basketball moms, baseball moms or even babysitting, she was always there to help.”

With hopes of presenting a scholarship to a Shadyside High School senior at the school’s academic awards banquet in the spring of 2019, O’Donnell — who is the First Assistant Golf Professional at the TPC Louisianna — is hosting an inaugural golf scramble to help raise money for the foundation and the scholarship, which he expects to be between two and five thousand dollars.

The scholarship’s requirements and such are still being finalized through the school.

“From my standpoint, we’re going to do it,” O’Donnell said. “We want it to be a big scholarship.”

The scramble will be held on Sept. 22 at Belmont Hills Country Club with a noon shotgun start. O’Donnell is hoping for a full field of 36 teams and has 24 already registered. The entry fee is $75 per player or $300 per team.

The players will receive 18 holes, a car, beverages, prizes, a gift, lunch and dinner. There will also be numerous skill contests, including ‘Beat the Pro’ in which O’Donnell will be teeing it up on No. 2 and should a player get his or her shot closer to the hole than O’Donnell, that person would win a prize.

“Working in the golf industry, I’ve been able to use some connections and the support we’ve received is overwhelming in terms of the stuff people have donated,” O’Donnell said. “We’ll have all kinds of equipment to give away as prizes. The winning team will receive a trophy as well as golf shop credit.”

Though running a golf course and helping with tournaments is what he does, trying to manage one from a different time zone is slightly different for O’Donnell. He offered major kudos to Colby Emery, Dylan Kimble, Mason Bigler, Noah Kritz, all of whom were his classmates at Shadyside as well as Cassidy McCullough.

“It’s pretty crazy trying to do this from so far away, but the group has been incredible,” O’Donnell said. “We have conference calls every Thursday, we’re in group messages, so technology has definitely helped.”

Kritz built the foundation’s website (cindyofoundation.com) and maintains it.

“Noah did a wonderful job with the website,” O’Donnell said.

“Everyone, including our sponsors, have done so much to help me be able to give back to the community in my mom’s name.”

Cindy O’Donnell had three sons … Evan Holmes, Ryan Holmes and Patrick. All are expected to be at the event.

“Bringing the family back together for an event that isn’t Christmas, Easter or something like that was important to me,” Patrick O’Donnell said. “We’re all spread out throughout different parts of the country, but my brothers and entire family have been a huge help in this. This (scramble and foundation) has been a total team effort. It’s definitely not just an I thing, but it’s a total we thing.”

As the foundation continues to grow, O’Donnell has some other ideas of ways in which he hopes to help people in Shadyside, too.

He’s also got some additional ideas already in the planning stages for the 2019 scramble with hopes of hosting a pre-event party.

“I don’t just want to give one scholarship,” O’Donnell said. “I want to give out multiple scholarships and try to help other families.”

For more information on the golf scramble, visit the foundation’s website. Hole sponsorships are being accepted until Sept. 10, but players can register until Sept. 15.

OHIO VALLEY

SENIOR TOURNAMENT

Very few Ohio Valley events make it to see their 75th anniversary. The Ohio Valley Seniors Golf Tournament, which features players from Belmont Hills Country Club, Cadiz CC, Moundsville CC, Steubenville CC, East Liverpool CC and Wheeling CC, accomplished that number last Monday at Steubenville CC.

The annual event was broken into age groups for stroke play and handicap and each age group also crowned a closest to the pin winner.

The net results are as follows:

50-59 — Bill Finnical, 78; Brent Walrath, 80.

60-64 — Vic Porreca, 73; Dave Yonak, 77.

65-69 — Dave Reasbeck, 76; Gary Young, 79.

70-74 — Jerry Capers, 78; Denis Minor, 88.

75-79 — Ed Nurczyk, 77; Bill Chetock, 88.

80 and over — Howard Peterson, 76; Bill Croskey, 81.

The handicap results are as follows:

50-59 — Dave Diosi, 68; Bob Griffin, 77.

60-64 — John Timko, Mark Morelli, 66.

65-69 — Chuck Bizzari, 63; Rennie Minor, 67.

70-74 — Richard Mahfood, 66; James Rocchi, 69.

75-79 — James Circosta, 65; Jim Bolger, 69.

80 and over — Charles Manfresca, 61; John Irvin, 66.

Closest to the pins by age group:

50-59 — Brent Walrath; 60-64 — Vic Porreca; 65-69 — Fred Fecat; 70-74 — Bob Kelly; 75-79 — Fred Brunner; 80 and over — Howard Peterson.

The team winnewr was the foursome from the Cadiz Country Club, which finished with a 305. The team was comprised of Vic Porreca (73), Chuck Bizzari (77), Jerry Capers (78) and Ed Nurczyk (77).

The low score of the tournament was posted by Porreca.

Phil Pata served as the tournament director once again.