2020 Bowtie Classic set for Sept. 5 at Forest Hills
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Registration is now open for the eighth annual Charlie Miller Bowtie Classic Golf Outing and Knowledge Open. The event, the largest annual fundraiser for the La Crosse Public Education Foundation, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Forest Hills Golf Course, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.
Coulee Region Mechanical is the presenting sponsor.
Registration is $80 per person prior to July 31.
The event honors the late Dr. Charles Miller III, who served 15 years on the Board of Education and was a co-founder of LPEF. Teams compete not just on golf skills in the scramble format. The event includes a unique feature: the Knowledge Open Challenge. At various holes on the course, questions are asked by National Honor Society students. Each event foursome, as a team, answers the questions during its round of play. Teams’ final scores are based on their golf game as well as their performance on the quiz.
Teams play for the benefit of schools in the School District of La Crosse, with the first-place team winning a $500 grant for a school. Second prize is $250. Third prize is $125 and the highest-scoring team also wins $125 for a school.
2019 Bowtie Classic shatters fundraising record with nearly $36,000 raised for La Crosse schools
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Other major sponsors
Despite some morning sprinkles, Forest Hills Golf Course provided a gorgeous setting for the 2019 Bowtie Classic.
A day of fun and fundraising was on tap Saturday, Aug. 31 at the seventh Charlie Miller Bowtie Classic Golf Outing and Knowledge Open. Nearly $36,000 was raised after expenses as 110 golfers teed off at the event that benefits the La Crosse Public Education Foundation.
Our 2019 presenting sponsor was Waste Management, which provides waste disposal and recycling services for the School District of La Crosse.
Dr. Charles Miller III
Jeanie and Fred Everson helped boost fundraising as they entertained golfers with a chip shot contest on the former 13th hole. David Schams came within 18 inches of the cup and won $405.
The Bowtie Classic recognizes and honors Dr. Charles Miller III, a co-founder of LPEF and a longtime member of the Board of Education in La Crosse. Dr. Miller was a surgeon at Gundersen Health System. He died unexpectedly while playing racquetball in May 2011. His family was represented again at this year’s event by daughter Jeanie Everson and her husband Fred. The Miller family provides sponsorship money to allow student teams to golf in the Bowtie Classic.
Teams compete not just on golf skills in the scramble format. The event includes a unique feature: the Knowledge Open Challenge. At various holes on the course, questions are asked by National Honor Society students. Each event foursome, as a team, answers the questions during its round of play. Teams’ final scores are based on their golf game as well as their performance on the quiz.
Teams play for the benefit of schools in the School District of La Crosse, with the first-place team winning a $500 grant for a school. Second prize was $250. Third prize was $125 and the highest-scoring team also won $125 for a school. Awards were sponsored by Lifetouch, which also provided support to discount registration fees for school teams.
Here are the winning foursomes:
Winning 1st place and a $500 grant for Northside Elementary was this foursome from DeBoer Pest Control: Jim DeBoer, Don DeBoer, Dan Wilson, Jack Litsheim
Winning 2nd place and a $250 grant for Logan High School: Damon Gnewikow, Kurt Baumgarten, Wally Gnewikow Jr., Matt Marohl
Winning 3rd place and a $125 grant for Spence Elementary was this foursome from Coulee Region Mechanical: Jeremey Kendall, Dan Howe, Mike Olson, and Matt Lehman
Taking last place and winning $125 for Hintgen Elementary was this team from GO Riteway: Jeff Hauke, John Lochner, Michael Wohlfert, Roger Benson
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- LPEF Board member Tom Thompson joined former Superintendent Jerry Kember in selling raffle tickets.
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- Superintendent Randy Nelson, Central High Associate Principal Jeff Axness, Central Principal Troy Harcey, and Associate Superintendent Troy McDonald
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- Jerry Ball, Joe Ledvina, Clint Selle, Ryan Ledvina
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- Justin Thorsen, Steve Butterfield, Logan Butterfield, Peter Mueller
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- Southern Bluffs Elementary team: Denise Shedivy, Derek Fuglsang, Lisa Schreiner, Michelle Powell
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- La Crosse Tribune foursome of Rusty Cunningham, Paul Pehler, Josh Trust, Caleb Anderson
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- Waste Management foursome of Don Lounsbrough, Mike Stange, Don Colburn, Roger Roelich. Waste Management was the presenting sponsor of the 2019 Bowtie Classic.
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- Playing for Spence Elementary School: Jerry Seeger, Janice Seeger, Sara Blanton, KJ Blanton
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- Dave Kies, David Schams, Mark Lakmann, Jacob Klingbeil
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- From Hamilton/SOTA I Elementary School: Jourdan Stacey, Sara Jackson, John Arnost, Ben Burns
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- Playing for Northside Elementary: Craig Hulbert, Susan Hulbert, Steven Hulbert, Sydney Hulbert
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- Playing for Summit Environmental School: Dirk Hunter, Phil Gredler, Carl Shedivy, Bill Hoel
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- Todd Peterson, Beau Elston, Kevin Hooper, Colin Peterson
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- Kaplan Professional Education team: Chelsey McCoy, Brian Lingen, Jordan Miller
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- Festival Foods foursome: Steve Berg, Mike Duncan, Adam Wershofen, Cletus Hoehn
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- Waste Management foursome of Lee Kiem, Emily Kiem, Randy Blank, Dean Lounsbrough. Waste Management was the presenting sponsor of the 2019 Bowtie Classic.
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- A Marine Credit Union foursome of Bill Sacia, Bonnie Sacia, Bob Carney, Chris Haskell
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- Marine Credit Union foursome: Dave Farrow, Michael Maxwell, Curt Greeno, Adam Keer
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- A Coulee Region Mechanical foursome: Andrew Bakkestuen, Christopher Schroeder, Taylor Hamilton, Ryan Wolle
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- Festival Foods foursome: Dick Zierke, Aaron Aspenson, Greg Rediske, Alex Powell
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- With one of the students asking Quiz questions is the Coulee Bank foursome: Mike Watson, Mike Gargaro, Matt Garves, Mike Garves
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- Jared Kast, Adam Jessie, Tyler Jessie, Mike Haas
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- A Boys & Girls Club foursome: Alex Gavrilos, Julian Erickson, Jackson Fenwick, Jake Erickson
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- Ken French, Rich Bean, Lad Doolittle, Woody Weidenhoeft
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- Students asked Knowledge Open quiz questions at each tee box. With a correct answer, foursomes could knock 1 point off their golf score for the hole.
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- Beautiful day on a beautiful course at Forest Hills.
Photos of the foursomes are courtesy of Nick Marcou.
The 2019 Bowtie Classic was presented by Waste Management.
Other major sponsors included: Marine Credit Union, Festival Foods, Coulee Region Mechanical, Lifetouch, LHI and the Weber Family Foundation, Beinborn Painting, Bray Architects, Complete Control, Coulee Bank, DeBoer Pest Control, GO Riteway, HSR Associates, Kaplan Professional Education, Mathy Construction, and the La Crosse Tribune.
Toyota of La Crosse provided a 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback as a prize for a hole-in-one on Hole No. 7 — but no one landed their tee shot in the cup.
One lucky golfer had the opportunity to win a new 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback (courtesy of Toyota of La Crosse) by hitting a hole in one on Hole No. 7 during the event.
A special thank you to the family of Dr. Charles Miller III, including Susan Miller, Jeanie Everson, Charlie Miller IV and Heather Marie Miller and their families for continuing support and sponsoring student golfers at the Bowtie Classic.
Four for Fore Hole Sponsors (each sponsored four holes)
- Dalco
- Five Star Telecom
- McCabe Roofing
- Thompson Animal Medical Center
- Xcel Energy
Quiz Sponsors
- Altra Federal Credit Union
- Brenengen Auto Group
- GECU
- Gundersen Health System
- Masters Building Solutions
- S&S Cycle
- Tri-State Carpets
- US Bank
- These major sponsors also received recognition as Quiz Sponsors: Beinborn Painting, Bray Architects, Complete Control, Coulee Bank, Coulee Region Mechanical, DeBoer Pest Control, Festival Foods, GO Riteway, HSR Associates, Kaplan Professional Education, LHI, Lifetouch, Marine Credit Union, Mathy Construction, and Waste Management.
Other Hole Sponsors
- Ken French
- Mark Glendenning/Margie Webster
- Troy & Megan Harcey (2)
- Jerry & Nan Kember
- Fred & Janet Kusch
- Jeff Meyer
- Randy & Lynn Nelson
- Tim Padesky & Tara Johnson
- Barb Schultz
- Tom & Judy Sleik
- Judy & Dick Swantz
- Tom & Jean Thompson
- Stephen & Katherine Webster
- Associated Benefits & Risk Consulting
- Benefit Plan Administrators/3PAdministrators
- The Board Store
- Brickl Brothers
- Citizens State Bank
- EO Johnson
- Firefighters Credit Union
- Klich Electric
- La Crosse Area Retired Educators’ Association
- La Crosse Education Association
- Lackore Electric Motor Repair
- News 8 WKBT
- Prairie Farms Dairy
- Reinhart Foodservice (2)
- Ron Hammes Refrigeration
- Skyward (2)
- UW-L Foundation
- Western Technical College
Thanks to the following for donating prizes: Golden Ticket raffle – Kendell Doors; Jay and Barb Nick, Mary Larson. Main raffle – Forest Hills Golf Course; Pischke Motors; Dalco; Brandon Prinsen of Johns, Flaherty & Collins; Logan and Central high school activities departments; Fred and Janet Kusch; Randy and Lynn Nelson; Mary Larson; Green Bay Packers; Milwaukee Brewers; Minnesota Twins; Minnesota Vikings; Midwest TV & Appliance; Werner Electric; Xcel Energy; Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Hole contest prizes provided by: Big Al’s Pizza; The Crow; David Reay’s; Dublin Square; Famous Dave’s; Howie’s; Northland Golf; Schmidty’s; 4 Sisters; Tammy Larson and Shawn Dutchin
Water provided by: Gillette Pepsi-Cola Bottling of La Crosse
Special thanks to Central and Logan National Honor Society students for helping with the Knowledge Open.
Bowtie Classic Chairman: Superintendent Randy Nelson. Planning committee: Dick Swantz, Jerry Kember, Ken French, Troy Harcey, Joe Ledvina, Tammy Larson, Shawn Dutchin, Keith Stoll, Fred Kusch, David Stoeffler
Click below for reports and photos from prior Bowtie Classics: