Local family looking to “three-peat” as Mini-Golf champions United Way’s 3rd Annual Putt FORE Kids! set for April 30 at SportsOhio 6 April 2009

East Liberty’s Eric Keifer has been playing miniature golf as long as he can remember. Your Name: Your Email:   Your Friend's Name: Your Friend's Email: “My Mom tells a story about me at three years old telling an adult they weren’t playing the game correctly,” he said. “They weren’t letting the ball come to a complete stop. I have always loved to play, and my family regularly plays recreationally.” Eric Keifer, of East Liberty, scores another par at United Way’s Putt FORE Kids Mini-Golf Challenge. Keifer, who now works in the laboratory at Memorial Hospital, even remembers watching Putt-Putt tournaments that used to air on ESPN while growing up. So when United Way of Union County launched its Putt FORE Kids Mini-Golf Challenge three years ago, Keifer was naturally excited to show off his putting prowess on a competitive level. Today, Keifer, his wife Darla, and his parents Don and Juli, are preparing to defend their two-time team championship at the 3rd Annual Putt FORE Kids, presented by Scotts Miracle-Gro. The event, the only one of its kind in Central Ohio, tees off Thursday April 30 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at SportsOhio’s beautifully landscaped course in Dublin. “This is a high-quality event,” Keifer said. “We enjoy ourselves as I know others do too. The course is a nice course and this venue is excellent for this type of event. This is a great way to get the word out about United Way, a great way to raise money, while also making it fun!” A $20 registration fee ($15 for kids 10 and under) treats golfers of all ages and abilities to an evening of all-you-can-play mini golf, an all-you-can-eat picnic style dinner, a live DJ, and more. Players can come as individuals or groups of any size, but only foursomes will compete for team trophies. Individuals scoring low rounds in various age groups, including children in three age groups, will be awarded recognition. All golfers who score a hole-in-one will be entered into a raffle for additional prizes. “If it’s something you typically find at a regulation golf event, you’ll find it here,” said Dave Bezusko, United Way’s Campaign & PR Director. “Hole sponsors, dinner, raffle prizes, the whole nine yards. And that just happens to be how long the holes are! But the neat thing is that this is a family-friendly event. Anybody can play. And it doesn’t take all day. You can bring your kids after school and enjoy the evening. Or you can grab your friends from the office and compete for corporate pride.” The Keifer family has won both of the first two United Way's Putt FORE Kids Mini-Golf Challenges. Dave Bezusko (center), Campaign & PR Director of the United Way of Union County, awards a first-place trophy to Don, Eric, Darla, and Juli Keifer (left to right). 100 percent of the proceeds from Putt FORE Kids benefits Union County children through United Way’s Youth Arts & Recreation Grant Fund. The fund keeps kids involved in positive, structured activities and out of trouble by paying the participation fee for families who would be unable to afford them. Putt FORE Kids has raised $8,200 and helped 400 children over its first two years. Last year, 10 area youth organizations received money from United Way’s youth fund, including North Union Youth Baseball, the Village of Plain City Pool, North Union Softball for Girls, the Marysville Art League, North Union Junior Football, the East Elementary PTO Art Camp, Ohio Sled Hockey, the Union County Junior Football League, Raymond Baseball & Softball, and the Richwood Area Business Association’s Summer Youth Dance. There are no set tee times, so players may arrive at SportsOhio any time between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. on April 30 to be a part of the festivities. Pre-registration is encouraged and can be done online at http://www.unitedwayofunioncounty.org. 105 golfers played in the event a year ago. A similar number of participants is expected this year to try to dethrone the Keifer family for the team title. Keifer’s secret to mini-golf success? “We usually watch each other to see what works on a certain hole and what doesn’t,” Keifer said. “Usually we can tell from the first person where the next person needs to hit the ball.” For more information about the Putt FORE Kids Mini-Golf Challenge or the Youth Arts & Recreation Grant Fund, including applications for grant funding, please contact United Way of Union County at (937) 644-8381.