Georgia Southern Donates Golf Winnings to CASA

Georgia Southern University today donated $1,500 to the Bulloch Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). The gift, a result of the University winning the 2014 Chancellor’s Fall Classic Charity Cup golf tournament in Athens, Georgia, was presented by President Brooks A. Keel to Lainie Jenkins, executive director of CASA. “We always appreciate Georgia Southern’s participation with our program, but this kind of donation helps in many ways,” said Jenkins. “A lot of our funding is designated for certain things, but with this being an undesignated amount, we can use it for anything we may need. The whole point of our program is to see that children don’t languish in foster care.” Keel was honored to present the award to the CASA representatives. “CASA is a wonderful organization in our community,” he said. “The volunteers at CASA work tirelessly to support children in need. We at Georgia Southern are so pleased to be able to demonstrate our appreciation for all that they do for the children of Bulloch County.” CASA is a state funded program to recruit, screen, train and supervise community volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in Superior Court deprivation proceedings in Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins and Screven Counties. “This donation helps get the word out about CASA, and even though we’ve been here for quite a while, what’s really important is that the community understand what we do, the importance of our program and how we help children,” said Georgia Southern faculty member and Chair of CASA’s Board of Directors, Merry Gallagher. The members of the winning golf team were Robert Whitaker, vice president of Business and Finance; Larry Mays, director of golf; Carter Collins, men’s golf coach and Emily Kuhfield, women’s golf coach. Last year, the University donated their winnings to the Boys and Girls Club of Bulloch County. Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 125-degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education.