This year’s Republic Bank Players Challenge promises to be as fun and successful as those in past years, with a few extra surprises.
Event co-chair Bruce Blue is a top sponsor of the event, and above that, he donated a foursome to enable younger adults who wouldn’t normally be able to afford it to play. “It’s a chance to help them get involved, meet people and network,” said Doug Roemer, event co-chair.
Kindred Healthcare’s CEO Ben Breier also donated a foursome to be played by local television media personalities. Kindred is an Eagle-level sponsor, too. The foursome is designed to garner more potential media coverage as well as bring an added level of fun with local celebrities.
The Republic Bank Players Challenge is an annual event that raises money for Jewish Family and Career Services and the Jewish Community Center. The funds raised help provide scholarships for more than 175 families and individuals who can’t afford JCC membership and subsidizes counseling for more than 2,400 individuals to help improve their lives.
“It’s just a fantastic event,” Roemer said. “People who play a lot of golf tournaments say that this is the best tournament of the year in Louisville. It’s a very enjoyable event.”
There are already 14 foursomes registered, and registration forms haven’t been sent out yet. The forms will go out soon after the Kentucky Derby.
The Challenge will be Monday, June 22, at the Standard Club, 8208 Standard Club Lane, off of Brownsboro Road, and will include a golf scramble, tennis tournament, and bridge, canasta and mahjong tournaments.
“We are continuing and hoping to grow the tennis tournament,” Roemer said. “(The Challenge) is a family event for me – my father-in-law and brother play golf with me, my wife plays tennis and my mother-in-law plays bridge.”
The day includes lunch and dinner, and this year, the dinner will be a bit less formal, Roemer said. “We want people to be a bit more relaxed,” he said.
There will be a silent auction all day, said Beverly Bromley, director of marketing and development at JFCS, as well as hole-in-one contests and a free bourbon tasting at 4 p.m. sponsored by Heaven Hill Distilleries.
Tennis sign-in is 8:30 a.m. and the fee is $60, which includes lunch.
Golf check-in is 10:30, and there will be a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Golf fees, which are $275, include lunch and dinner.
The driving range opens at 11 a.m.
Bridge, canasta and mahjong tournaments begin at 1 p.m.
Republic Bank Players Challenge committee members are Ed Cohen, Debbie Friedman, David Fuchs, Larry Kass, Jay Klempner, Stephanie Mutchnick, Dan Streit and Reed Weinberg.
Sponsors include Republic Bank, Kindred Healthcare, Mutual of America, Sam Swope Auto Group, Crowe Horwath, Papercone Corporation, Welenken CPAs, Jay Klempner, Schwartz and Associates Insurance, PayLogic, The Nautilus Group, Willis Klein and Seth Gladstein.
There are still sponsorship opportunities available. For sponsorship and general information, contact JFCS Director of Development and Marketing Beverly Bromley, 502-452-6341 or bbromley@jfcslouisville.org, ext. 223; to register to play, contact JFCS Administrator Kathryn Fetter, 452-6341, ext. 258.