Laughter could be heard across the practice putting green of the Columbia Country Club “even though it’s actually in Blythewood” joked Blythewood Mayor Mike Ross as he got behind the wheel of his assigned golf cart. Ross was one of 120 golfers gathered on a beautiful 72-degree autumn morning for the annual CIU Golf Classic, an important fundraiser for Columbia International University athletics.

Standing by and happy to see the large turnout was CIU Athletics Director Darren Ritchie who says the event raises over $35,000 for Rams athletics.

“We have to do some locker room expansion in the gym, and we’re trying to build press boxes for softball and baseball, and also bleachers,” Ritchie said. "We need to raise $200,000 for those additional things we need to do.”

Before the rows of golf carts paraded single file toward the golf course, each to its assigned starting hole, the day was lifted up in prayer by CIU alumnus and board member Adrian Depres, who is also an evangelist with Forge Kingdom Building Ministries.

“Thank you for this institution, for the athletes and your anointing on them,” Depres prayed for CIU.

Among the golfers was Don Taylor, the son-in-law of the late Elizabeth Sessions who was a CIU alumna (Class of ’43), CIU board member for over a decade, and a strong financial supporter of CIU athletics. Taylor is keeping up her legacy.

“She loved that place,” Taylor said of Sessions’ fondness for CIU, noting that she “actually attended at the old campus downtown,” referring to CIU’s pre-1960 move to Monticello Road when the school was known as Columbia Bible College.

Congratulations to the winning team, Modern Turf featuring Mark Grainger, Jeff Twitty, Rick Crout, and Brian Lawler with a score of 20-under par.

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