If you combined their ages, they are 20 years old. Combine their years of formal education and you'll get 8. But if you look at the size of their hearts, that figure is immeasurable. Phillip Clifton, a 4th grader at Forsyth Country Day, and Blake Brantley, also in the 4th grade, at Summit School, took it upon themselves to try and "give back to their community" Together, these two young men organized a Master's Party fund raiser to benefit The First Tee of the Triad. They raised a staggering $1,000 in donations, as well as 81 golf clubs, 7 bags, and 783 golf balls.

"I have benefited so much from the game of golf, that I wanted others to have the same experiences." Said Blake. "I know that The First Tee is about learning how to behave well, the Core Values, and making good decisions on and off the golf course. I just wanted to help other kids have the same experiences I have had."

Best friend, Phillip said, "We are lucky to have clubs and a place to play at Forsyth CC. We learn so much by playing golf together. We wanted kids from all over to have the same chances we have to enjoy the game."

One late Monday evening, when classes were just finishing up at Winston Lake Golf Course, the boys and their mothers stopped by to present The First Tee of the Triad with their donation. The boys had a chance to meet some of the participants and see a set of clubs that would be used in class, thanks to the generosity of those who supported the program.

Safety was one of the 9 Healthy Habits for that evening's class. The participants divided into two teams. Each player took a card that had a safe or unsafe action on it. If it was 'safe' such as "wearing your helmet while riding your bike", the child ran to the 'safe bucket', placed the card in, and ran back to the line. If the card said something 'unsafe' like, "Listing personal information on Facebook", they had to run to the unsafe bucket. Phillip and Blake flipped thru the cards, and began to gain a better understanding of what the program is all about.

Mrs. Clifton asked, "What else did the children learn in class tonight?" The participants learned about "Meeting and Greeting" which had to do with looking someone in the eye, shaking their hand firmly and stating their name clearly. They also learned about putting, including not stepping in someone else's line and how to mark a golf ball.

That night, Blake and Phillip learned that The First Tee was about so much more than just golf. I learned that generosity comes in many different forms. And for those of us lucky enough to bear witness? we learned you are never too young to make a difference.

-Anne Marie Goslak