The fourth annual Austin Public Education Fore Kids Golf Event will be held July 16 at the Austin Coun-try Club.

Friday, April 06, 2001

The fourth annual Austin Public Education Fore Kids Golf Event will be held July 16 at the Austin Coun-try Club.

The fund-raiser is for the Austin Education Foundation and the funds raised will provide artists in residence, technology, books and other programs for students in Austin Public Schools.

Dennis Goettsch, APE general chairman, was at Sumner School on Wednesday talking about the upcoming fund-raiser.

"We have upgraded the prizes for the event this year," Goettsch said. "There will be over a hundred prizes and they are valued at $25 or more."

The prizes this year include two tickets to a Minnesota Vikings opener, two courtside tickets at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, throwing out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game and naming bat kids, two tickets to a University of Minnesota Gophers baseball game, a baseball autographed by Kirby Puckett and more.

The cost per player for the event is $75. Participants paying by June 16 will receive a $10 discount. The fee includes golf, lunch, dinner, fun, games and the prizes.

Students who have benefited from the funds raised by APE told first-hand what they have been able to do because of the program. Ellis students Maurino Ortiz and Islam Muratoric explained that the books bought through the funding have helped them understand the English language better. They learned about the names of food and the different names of rooms in a house.

A group of students from Sumner danced three folk dances while being accompanied by their teacher on guitar. They learned the dances through the Artist in Residence program funded by the APE.

Peggy Benzkofer is the contact person for APE. She works out of the high school; anyone interested in attending the golf event should call 433-5934.

Call Sheila Donnelly at 434-2234 or e-mail her at sports@austindailyherald.com.