DENVER – Golf has recently enjoyed a higher profile in Native communities through the achievements of such players as Notah Begay III, Navajo-Isleta/San Felipe Pueblo, and the Colorado Indian Education Foundation is joining the trend in its annual fundraiser, Donna Langston, CIEF president, said.

The Colorado Indian Education Foundation 2nd Annual Golf Classic will be held Aug. 2 at the Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, 25 miles west of Denver in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

All proceeds from the tournament go to the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce’s American Indian Scholars state license plates, sales of which fund scholarships for American Indian students through nonprofit CIEF. Last year, the foundation awarded 10 Native scholars $1,000 each, an amount the event planners hope to double this year.

The CIEF “was interested in the multigenerational aspect of offering a golf tournament as a fundraiser,” Langston said. “Our students are able to mix with professionals from the community. Using sports like golf also promotes physical fitness and wellness among our Indian youth, who are plagued by obesity and diabetes.”

The scramble tournament and luncheon hosted at Hiwan Golf Club, birthplace of the Colorado Open, will feature hole-in-one prizes and raffles throughout the day and at the awards luncheon, said Josh Runningwolf, RMICC president, who said the event “brings together our members and prospective members, including corporate sponsors, for a relaxing day” on the Hiwan fairways.

Player opportunities for sponsorship in the scramble-style event range from $200 for a single player to $2,000 as an Eagle Sponsor. In addition, hole-in-one prizes range from $5,000 offered by CADDO Solutions to sound, computer and other equipment in a range of values from $299 to $976, according to a press release.

Registration Aug. 2 will begin at 6:30 a.m., followed by a “shotgun start” at 7:30 a.m. and a luncheon and awards ceremony at noon.

“This event is an opportunity for American Indian businesses to network with the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce’s corporate members and their supplier diversity representatives while contributing to the CIEF’s scholarship fund for American Indian scholars in the Rocky Mountain region,” said Dee St. Cyr, RMICC chair.

Native youth “will form the core of future American Indian entrepreneurship. We are proud to have the opportunity to work with CIEF in this valuable event that both promotes American Indian products and services while contributing to American Indian youth scholarship.”

Langston noted that Begay’s prominence in golfing on the PGA and Native American Golf Tour also extends to a consulting firm for golf course development in Indian communities.

“A number of nations already have golf courses, including the Oneida, Fort McDowell Yavapai, Santa Ana Pueblo, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Eastern Band of Cherokee, Prairie Band of Potawatomi, and the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma,” she said.

The CIEF provides scholarships for Native students to promote greater awareness of Colorado’s American Indians and their culture by those who “understand the need for resources to help Native students on their journey,” the organization states.

The Hiwan Golf Club, rated among the top 10 private courses in the Denver area, is a private golf and country club that hosts charitable golf events on Mondays from May to October.