Vendors FORE Education golf tournament raises $36,000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Golfers spent a sweltering July afternoon on the course to raise $36,000 to support students who have the potential to become retail industry leaders and the University of Arkansas women's golf team.

The Vendors FORE Education golf tournament, sponsored by Wal-Mart vendors, was held Friday, July 15, at Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club in Fayetteville, in temperatures that topped 100 degrees. The Center for Retailing Excellence in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, working in partnership with Erik Wolff of E-Wolff Sales Solutions and Russ Heithoff of Strategic Retail Solutions, hosts the tournament each year.

The event raises money for the women's golf program at the University of Arkansas and for funding for the Center for Retailing Excellence to provide support for students who may have missed out on other financial aid opportunities.

The $36,000 raised this year is on top of the funds from previous tournaments. "The Vendors FORE Education student support tournament has distributed $98,700 since its association with the Center for Retailing Excellence began in 2003," said Pamela Styles, assistant director of the Center for Retailing Excellence. "Additionally, it has provided $30,000 in support to the women's golf team here at the University of Arkansas."

"This event takes a lot of planning and hard work," said Claudia B. Mobley, center director. "After weeks of pre-work, the staff then spent the whole day working outside in 100-plus degree heat."

Title sponsors of the event for 2011 were Hunter & Michaels, an organization that specializes in professional placements; Atkins Nutritionals, a leader in the weight control nutrition category that manufactures and sells bars and shakes designed around the nutrition principles of the Atkins Diet; Ruiz Food Products, makers of El Monterey America's favorite Mexican food; Samsung, a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies; and Bayer HealthCare Consumer Care Division, among the largest marketers of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements and a member of the Center for Retailing Excellence executive board of directors.

The Vendors FORE Education tournament began in 1996 as a social gathering for the vendor community and a means of building relationships. The group soon realized the event could provide financial assistance for university students who have the potential to become retail industry leaders. A primary mission of the tournament is to foster relationships between industry and academia.

The event is often described as one of the most enjoyable days of social networking where everyone is a winner, especially the students," Styles said. "The vendor community understands that by supporting these young men and women on their road to success we insure they will reciprocate for future generations of students, perpetuating the contributions of today."

Each year's tournament is a four-person scramble with prizes awarded to the top teams and additional prizes for closest to the pin and other contests. Participation is limited to 30 teams, and this year's event was booked up three months in advance, Styles said.

"Women's sports often do not receive the same recognition or support as men's programs." Styles said. "This partnership between the Center for Retailing Excellence and the women's golf team has allowed the vendor community to see that our women athletes excel both academically and athletically.  For these young women, it supports their competitions and program and enhances their performance on and off the course.

"We are fortunate for the intercollegiate relationships here on campus.  This is one of several success stories in working with other departments and colleges across the University."

The Center for Retailing Excellence was established in the Walton College in 1998 with a portion of the $50 million endowment from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.