Josh Bidwell Charity Golf Tournament Provides Some Fun For A Cause

Postponed from its original date in May, the Josh Bidwell charity golf tournament took place this past Friday at Oak Hills Golf Club in Sutherlin. The tournament helped raise money for the foundation in what has been a tumultuous year. “This has been a crazy year that we honestly didn't know if it was even going to happen,” JB Foundation Treasurer Trista Tomlinson said. “But after being contacted by multiple sponsors wanting to get out and have some fun, we decided that this was our year to give back. This tournament was all about having fun.” The Josh Bidwell Foundation was founded in 2006 specifically to raise funds to help people in Douglas County suffering from cancer and youth programs in the area. Bidwell who is a Douglas high school graduate overcame a battle with testicular cancer after winning the starting punter job with the Green Bay Packers during his rookie year in 1999. Today the foundation supports scholarships for local students, along with the Community Cancer Center and supporting families in need during the Christmas season. “It was such a great event this year in a lot of ways but I really enjoyed the escape and distraction from current events.” Bidwell said. “As well as knowing the money we raised wasn’t as much as in past years but definitely will make a huge difference in our community.” Even though the tournament was different this year than in years past, the purpose behind the foundation still continues. “The plan is to use this year’s money for scholarships for seniors and to bless families who are struggling with hard times during the Christmas season,” Bidwell said. “We really enjoyed the opportunity to make a difference for families during Christmas and that’s a tradition we definitely are going to keep up with every year.” The JBF also reached out to all of the police stations in Douglas County to welcome officers from various precincts as guests for the tournament. Bidwell when talking before the tournament asked the officers to step forward and thanked them for their service. “We felt during this crazy time, it was important that we show our support for law enforcement.” Tomlinson said. The foundation is still taking donations if anyone would like to do so they can visit: https://joshbidwellfoundation.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/15thAnnualJoshBidwellFoundationAuctionDinner/tabid/1083221/Default.aspx Once there, you can click on Donation at the top of the screen and that will start the process.