Every August, we bring together YouthQuest Foundation supporters to show our appreciation and honor some of the special people who help us change young lives.
We fielded 19 teams for this year’s golf tournament on August 5 at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC. At our VIP Reception on August 1, we recognized our 2019 Strategic Partner, Community Partner and Volunteer of the Year award winners.
During the reception, Piper Phillips, President and CEO of PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families, and YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks gave guests an update on how our partnership is helping prepare students on the autism spectrum for meaningful employment. They showed this video about PHILLIPS students who took part in a cross-country 3D printing project that laid the groundwork for our new vocational training program.
YouthQuest Co-Founders Lynda Mann and Allen Cage presented awards to Volunteer of the Year Chris Adams, a Technology Education teacher at Franklin Middle School in Chantilly, and to Franklin Assistant Principal Robert Gibbs, representing Fairfax County Public Schools, our Community Partner of the Year.
Chris has been sharing his expertise with us for several years and has helped connect us with other Fairfax County teachers. When he found out his school was going to get rid of a barely-used Z310 powder/binder 3D printer, he thought of us. With his help, we arranged for Fairfax County Public Schools to donate the Z310 to us. It’s the perfect addition to our 3D printing lab, giving our advanced 3D ThinkLink students valuable, hands-on experience with a professional-grade machine as part of the job training and placement project we’re launching.
University of Maryland Terrapin Works Operations Manager Nathanael Carriere was on hand to accept our 2019 Strategic Partner Award. Terrapin Works encompasses a collection of 3D design and printing resources on the College Park campus. Nathanael and his staff host Vocational Orientation events every six months for cadets in our 3D ThinkLink classes at DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. They take the cadets through the labs in Maryland’s recently opened A. James Clark Hall, showing them how engineering students use 3D printing.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Tysons, Virginia, hosted the VIP Reception and sponsored Golf Entertainer Brad Denton, who opened the tournament on Monday morning with an amazing trick shot demonstration before players headed out to spend a beautiful summer day on the Trump National Championship Course.
We were pleased to welcome DFS Construction Corporation and DCG Dominion Construction Group as first-time tournament sponsors, along with returning sponsors AOC Solutions, FEDAC, the Poole Foundation, the POH Group, Kipps DeSanto, Insperity, Gombos-Leyton, Jones Lang LaSalle, Old Dominion National Bank, CrossFit PR Star and Valley Forge Acquisition Corp.
VIP guests at the tournament included Capt. Ken Dondero and Maj. Rudy Landon from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and Washington Redskins alumni Pat Fischer, Roy Jefferson, Raleigh McKenzie, Jerry Olsen and Bubba Tyer.
The secret to the repeated success of our annual fundraising event is the outstanding work of the entire Trump National team including the catering staff, grounds crew and caddies, along with our tournament volunteers: Linda Ackerman, volunteer coordinator, Emily Blake, Rachel Cage, Nikki Gombos, Rob Hall, Steve Levenson, Ingrid Louro and previous Volunteer of the Year award winners Edna Davis, Val Hightower and Tony Sanderson.
The 15th annual Challenge at Trump National will be on Monday, August 3, 2020. It’s never too early to sign up. This form has all the details. Online registration will be available early next year.
