The Tide® Golf Benefits Raise $30,000 to Help Funds Grow for Global Gospel Radio Programming

Each year, The Tide® provides a wonderful way to make a global impact for Christ while hitting the links. And over the years, several community partners have come together to help make two annual golf outings a success.

For 73 years, The Tide ministry has served as a multi-national Gospel organization with partners around the world as well as near its U.S. headquarters of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Since 1946, The Tide ministry has recorded and broadcast Gospel radio programming in the languages people were born to speak. Currently, The Tide ministry offers audio programming in 25 heart languages spoken by millions of people in multiple regions of Albania, Bhutan, India, Kosovo, Nepal, Nigeria, Thailand and Zimbabwe. Local partners sponsor the annual golf tournaments to help continue The Tide’s important work.

“Several local organizations with historical ties have strong relationships with The Tide ministry, as we work together as a community to make a global impact,” said The Tide Director of Development Mark Story. “We’re happy to report that the golf tournament several months ago raised upwards of $30,000 so The Tide ministry can continue our work around the globe.”

In June, The Tide ministry hosted its 41st annual spring golf outing at the Penn National Golf Club, where it holds the distinction of the oldest and longest-running golf tournament. Dave Beegle, Head Golf Professional at Penn National, said his fondest memories from the 41-year history of The Tide tournament include working with the committee chairpersons over the years.

“I am in my 33rd year, and it is interesting to look back as to how the golf tournament has evolved,” Beegle said. “When I first started at Penn National Golf Club, the tournament chair was John Bender. We started tee times at 6:30 a.m. and had players tee off No. 1 until 1 p.m. in the afternoon. It was always the third week of June, which meant the most daylight. Somewhere about 10 years after I started, we switched to an 8 a.m. shotgun start and Del Hawbaker became the chairperson. The Gospel Tide always did a good job of getting players—128—to fill the tournament. We built a pavilion, and the group started gathering and enjoying lunch in the newly built facility.

“In the most recent years, (The Tide Director) Don and Becky Shenk became the chairpersons and have filled the shoes nicely from John Bender and Del Hawbaker,” Beegle added. “Don and Becky have the event down to a science. Becky emails the foursomes to us a few days ahead of the tournament. The hole sponsor signs and beverages show up the night before the event. Tee signs are placed on the course, and beverages are iced down for the players to enjoy the next morning. Players show up ready to play and enjoy the tournament. Over the years, I have seen a lot of tournaments come and go. Every year, we can rely on The Tide tournament to book for the third Thursday of June, and everything will be ready to go. Thanks from Penn National Golf Club for all the business over the years, and we look forward to you leading the way for other tournaments to catch.”

As Beegle mentioned, past golf chairperson Del Hawbaker served as president of The Tide Board of Directors for 11 years, after joining the board in 1992 and serving for 21 years total. He has participated in most of the ministry’s golf outings.

In the early days, the golf outings were called “Activities Day,” Hawbaker said, and also included festivities for women since so few played golf at that time. Hawbaker also told The Tide ministry that he marveled at how the golf benefit grew to become the primary fundraising event and stated that it was a joy to see and play with people he wouldn’t have otherwise met.

Hawbaker summed up his time in leadership with The Tide ministry by stating: “I did it because I believed in it.”

Other local partners also help make The Tide golf tournaments successful, including F&M Trust, which for several years provided The Tide ministry office space on the second floor of its building in downtown Chambersburg and has also supported the golf tournaments for many years.

F&M Trust has been meeting the challenges of banking and providing financial solutions to its customers since its founding in 1906. A subsidiary of Franklin Financial Services Corp., F&M Trust is an independent community bank headquartered in Chambersburg. With approximately $1.2 billion in assets, F&M Trust has 22 community offices in Franklin, Cumberland, Fulton and Huntingdon counties.

“We (were) happy to sponsor this year’s golf tournament, which is in its 41st year and known for giving players an entertaining and positive experience for the day,” said Timothy G. Henry, president and CEO of F&M Trust. “At F&M Trust, giving back is part of who we are as a company, and we are proud to support the businesses and organizations in our communities.”

The Tide ministry is also announcing its fifth annual fall golf tournament, which is set for 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 12 at The Bridges in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania.

The benefit will be a scramble with a shotgun start. Cost is $90 per golfer, which covers greens fees for 18 holes of golf and a cart. Complimentary refreshments will be available at various locations around the course, and a free picnic lunch will also be provided. The outing is open to the first 128 participants who register.

All golfers who participate will also be entered in a drawing for a variety of door prizes, including drivers, irons, golf bags, push carts, a GPS unit and more. On designated holes, individuals will also be able to compete for prizes for the longest drive, longest putt and closest to the pin. In addition, a $10,000 hole-in-one prize is being offered on the seventh hole. Various sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information or to register, click here.