The NEIU Foundation’s annual Chuck Kane Scholarship Golf Event attracted almost 100 golfers and raised $29,030 this year toward the Transforming Lives fundraising campaign.
The Chuck Kane Scholarship Golf Event, the University’s biggest annual fundraiser, is held in memory of former athletic director and golf coach Charles “Chuck” Kane.
“The mission of this annual event is to support our students and to honor the memory of a beloved professor,” said Liesl Downey, executive director of the NEIU Foundation and Northeastern’s vice president for Institutional Advancement. “This is one of the NEIU Foundation’s most enduring events, and we are grateful to everyone who joins us in our efforts.”
The tournament, held Aug. 7 at Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca, featured two speakers: Chicago Tribune sports columnist David Haugh and Northeastern alumnus Elias Kasongo (B.A. ’11 Business and Management), a refugee from Congo who worked his way to upper management at Eli’s Cheesecake.
After Chuck Kane’s passing in 1972, his colleagues initiated the golf outing in his memory. Over time, the event has focused not only on sport and leisure, but has also emphasized the values of giving back by providing much-needed scholarships for deserving Northeastern Illinois University students.
In total, seven scholarships are funded by the Chuck Kane Scholarship Golf Event, which has now raised more than $300,000 over just the past 11 years. With an endowment of $457,351, the fund has provided scholarships for more than 152 students. Seven more scholarships will be awarded before the end of this year.
Established in 1969, the NEIU Foundation functions as an independent Illinois not-for-profit foundation whose corporate mission is to advance the interests and welfare of the University. Earlier this year, the foundation publicly launched its first fundraising campaign, Transforming Lives. The goal is to raise $10 million by the end of 2018. With the help of the Goodwin Gift Challenge, the campaign already has raised $8.6 million.
