Blaine Youth Sports (BYS), the nonprofit organization aimed at providing athletic opportunities for elementary and middle school age children in Blaine and Birch Bay, is calling on all golfers to support the 2025 BYS Golf Classic.
The first-ever charity golf event will be held at North Bellingham Golf Course Friday, July 11 with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. All funds raised from team entries, sponsorships, raffles and more will go directly to BYS.
The idea for a charity golf tournament came to BYS board members Rachelle Bouma, Kelly Brown and Corey Villarreal, who realized the organization had never put on a fundraising event like this since starting in 2018.
That’s when Blaine High School football head coach Andy Olson got involved, as he’s had experience running golf fundraisers while coaching at Burlington-Edison High School.
“Blaine doesn’t seem to have anything where the whole community has the opportunity to come together and support youth sports,” Olson said. “We want to be able to make sure kids have the best equipment at all levels, not just the high school level. There’s a need and a demand.”
Enrollment in football at most age groups in Blaine has increased in recent years, Olson said, meaning there’s a need not only for equipment, but also for scholarships.
While football has a high cost to run due to safety equipment needs, BYS also facilitates volleyball, cheer, basketball and wrestling teams for grades K-8.
“If we can fundraise and get people to sponsor, then we can get more kids out through scholarship opportunities,” Olson said. “Every kid should have the opportunity, whether they can afford it or not, to be able to play sports growing up because it makes such a big impact.”
Anyone, regardless of golfing ability, is welcome to join the fundraiser. Teams of four can join the tournament for $500, which includes 18 holes of golf, a cart, range balls, and an after-round dinner. Fans can sponsor with tiers starting at $250, and local restaurant Namaste: Royal Taste of India is the title sponsor after donating $5,000.
BYS is also seeking donations for raffle baskets or themed items for its prize drawings. The deadline for corporate sponsorship and donations is Tuesday, July 1 and the deadline for teams to enter is Friday, July 4.
As coach of a burgeoning football program, Olson said it’s crucial – and par for the course of the most successful programs in Whatcom County – to have a highly functioning youth program preparing kids to enter a high-expectations high school sports program.
“You don’t have one without the other,” Olson said. “If you want to have continuous success at the high school level, you need continuous success at the youth level. I look at this as a great opportunity to build all our programs.”
For more information about how to sign up, donate or learn more about BYS, contact Corey Villarreal at 1075corey@gmail.com, or visit blaineyouthsports.com.
