E.B. Foundation donates equipment to WHS golf teams
Apr. 9—WORTHINGTON — For the second-straight year, a local foundation paid it forward to the Worthington High School golf teams.
The E.B. Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed toward helping local youth golf programs as well as high school teams, purchased new golf equipment to donate to the Trojan boys and girls teams.
Three of the organizations founders, Josh "Woody" Krommendyk, Jason Schutz and Chris Gustafson, presented the new equipment to the teams last Friday at GreatLife Golf & Fitness Club.
The equipment donated included six new golf bags for each team with the new Trojan logos, along with customized golf balls and golf gloves.
The foundation also donated equipment to the WHS golf teams last year, which included new rangefinders, balls, gloves and hats. Gustafson said one of the foundation's goals is to potentially expand the amount of donations it gives to teams every year.
"So every year, our goal is to add value with more stuff, more swag, anything they need going forward," he said.
Each year, the organization hosts a golf tournament at GreatLife in late July called the "E.B. Foundation Scramble." It's an event where teams of four golfers can sign up and pay to play 18 holes of golf.
All the proceeds made from that tournament go toward purchasing new equipment, which they then turn around and donate to local golf programs in an effort to give back and pay it forward.
The E.B. Foundation was started in 2022 by Krommendyk, Schutz, Gustafson and Ted Lestico, all WHS alumni. It was created and named in honor of their friend, teammate and fellow Trojan alum Elliot Bacheller, who tragically passed away a few years ago.
Krommendyk said a goal of the organization in the beginning was to be able to generate enough funds through that late July tournament to support yough golf programs, which they have been able to do. Now, he wants to see those funds continue to grow.
"Unfortunately, we weren't expecting our friend to pass away, and after the first year we (made) kind of a last minute decision to be able to throw something back together, so as far as like our expectations or goals or anything of that nature, there really isn't like a set number," Krommendyk said. "Our main goal is to continue what we're doing, generate the funds, be able to pay everything back to the kids and grow it every single year."
This year's "E.B. Foundation Scramble" will mark the third annual tournament and it is set to take place on July 27 at the GreatLife course. Registration for the event is open to the public.
"We are hoping to have a full tournament," Shutz said. "We have hole sponsorships and we have other levels of sponsorships. This year, we're throwing in a hog roast with great other food items and all four of us will be out on the course. We are not playing in the tournament, but we're making sure everyone's having fun and it's and that it's going smoothly."
This year, the foundation created a 501(c) to gain its non-profit status. Shutz added that the more funds the foundation can take in, the better it can benefit golf programs they are aiming to help out.
"In the first year, we were very, very happy with what we had and how we turned out and the next year we probably increased our money taken in with donations and sponsorships, probably it was increased 15 to 20%," Shutz said. "This year, honestly, we're we're hoping for bigger numbers. The more that we take in, the better it is for all these young kids and for junior golf to have have us help them and to help their program. So yeah, I mean, it's it's growing the way we want it to."
