by James Coulter
Do you love golf? Want to help raise funds “fore” a good cause? Then come on down to the 20th Annual VISTEBall on Sat. Feb 1.
Hosted at the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus in Lakeland, VISTEBall allows attendees to enjoy golf-related games and activities including golf simulators, mini golf, and 50/50 raffles for golfing accessories.
And, of course, what fundraiser would be complete without food and drink? Nearly a dozen local resturaunts will be providing great food, including pasta, barbecue, and wings, at serving centers for the event’s main dinner.
Proceeds will go toward Volunteers in Service of the Elderly (VISTE), a local non-profit organization serving at-risk seniors in the greater Lakeland area, allowing them to live safely and independently in their own homes.
Steve Bissonnette, VISTE President, mentioned how their fundraiser was inspired by a trade show one of their members had attended. At the event was something called BirdieBall, an item that allows golfers to practice golfing in their own backyards.
“What he saw was the opportunity to turn that into games much like those at the Family Fun Center or Chuck E. Cheese, with the ability to play golf-themed games, get tickets, and trade those tickets in for prizes,” Bissonnette explained.
Over the past 20 years, VISTEBall has proven to be quite the popular fundraiser among its participants, to the point where they count down the days on the calendar until they can attend again, Bissonnette said.
“We find that there are a lot of new volunteers who come to us through their experience at this event,” he said. “What I hear the most from folks is that they keep coming back and that this is their signature event of the year, and we love to hear that.”
VISTEBall will be hosted on Sat. Feb. 1 at 6 PM at the Sun n Fun Expo Campus, located at 4075 James C. Ray Dr in Lakeland. For more info, visit VISTE.org.
Steve Bissonnette recently appeared on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast to discuss the upcoming fundraiser. Listen to the full episode on Acast: https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/ep-52-honoring-mlk-at-visteball-wsameka-atkins-steve-bissonn
