Cinco de Mayo golf tournament raises funds for special needs camps

Cinco de Mayo is less than three weeks away, and if you are looking for a way to get your fiesta on and help kids at the same time, the Tucson Breakfast Lions has a golf tournament just for you.

The 14th Annual Drive “Fore” Sight Golf Classic Scramble-Fiesta de Golf on May 5 combines a scramble-format tournament with amenities such as a buffet lunch featuring Mexican fare, margarita and tequila-tasting stations and abundant prizes, according to Pete Weakland, tournament coordinator.

“We are developing a reputation for having one of the finest charity events in town for a $100 entry fee. Camp Tatiyee and Camp Abilities need the proceeds from this tournament to continue providing services for young people with disabilities. They rely on us heavily,” said Weakland.

The nonprofit Camp Tatiyee in Pinetop-Lakeside serves almost 600 campers ages 7 and older each summer with programs that include arts, recreation and adapted sports such as swimming, archery and fishing. Sessions are tailored to those who are deaf and blind as well as campers with mental and physical challenges such as spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and amputees.

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“It is a great time for the campers, and it is a nice respite for the families. We have specially trained counselors and a full-time medical staff so that families don’t have to worry about anything,” said Weakland.

Here in Tucson, Camp Abilities provides opportunities through the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. The camp offers one-on-one instruction in adaptive sporting and recreational activities for children in middle school and high school who are blind, deaf or have multiple disabilities. Campers develop physical fitness and social skills while participating in sports such as beep baseball, swimming, tandem biking and bocce.

“This is such a great opportunity for these kids. There seems to be so much in town for able-bodied kids, but when it comes to those with special needs, there is so little for them. That is why these camps are so meaningful,” said Weakland.