Dexter, Missouri - The 17th Annual Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Banquet and Golf Event are slated for Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd. The annual banquet will feature at the Dexter Elks Lodge on Friday evening.
The 18 FORE Life organization raises money and distributes gifts in the amount of $1,000 to people battling cancer. This year the charity is expected to give out their 2 millionth dollar!
"This is our 17th year and if it goes as planned," commented Scott Kruse, "We should send out our $2 millionth dollar by the end of 2017."
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:00 p.m. Cost is $40 per ticket and there are still a few tickets left. There will be some amazing silent auction items as well as items that will be auctioned later in the evening.
Merrill Hoge, a former professional American football player will be a guest speaker. He played eight seasons at running back for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, retiring after the 1994 season.
On February 14, 2003, Hoge was diagnosed with stage II Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He had the first of six chemotherapy treatments on February 28th of that year.
"It is destroyable, it is beatable. You have everything in you to do it. The mind is a powerful thing. There is no doubt, come May, I'll be cancer free; five years after that, I'll be cured. Fifty years or whatever time I have left after that, it will be the platform I stand for. I'll be a better man. This has been a blessing," a quote from Hoge.
Soon after treatment began, Stanley Marks, Hoge's oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, gave him a 75-80% chance of prolonged remission.
Merril Hoge has since returned at work at ESPN on NFL Matchup.
The Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Charity Golf Event is our staple event and the reason this charity organization was founded. In the fall of 2000, four friends stood around a kitchen late one night-early one morning and discussed the thought of organizing a golf tournament. They acted on the idea and in 2001, the first 18 FORE Life golf tournament took place on June 23rd! The goal of the charity, at the time, was to raise money for The V-Foundation. The group of volunteers quickly stumbled onto the idea of sending love offerings to area families fighting cancer. The immediate response from letters and thank you cards was an impact and proved something special was possible.
In 2004, founder Ben Kruse was taken from us in a tragic accident. This young man’s spirit and soul inspired an entire community to rally together to not only raise money for a charity, but to also celebrate a life. 2005 was the first year the charity broke the $100,000.00 mark. The reputation and credibility was and continues to be on the rise. We are proud to say in 2012, we are fast approaching the major accomplishment of giving away our $1Millionth dollar!
The golf weekend is a party full of hugs, handshakes, laughter, smiles and memories shared. Our tag line is Celebrate | Give | Remember and we are proud to say all of this is accomplished in a big way every first weekend in June as 500 banquet attendees and more than 350 golfers gather for a guaranteed great time.
Bloomfield, Missouri - The annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield on Monday, May 29, 2017.
The keynote speaker will be Ken Swearengin.
The American Legion Post #59 Honor Guard will present the POW/MIA Table Ceremony which honors soldiers that were prisoners of war or missing in action from each branch of the U.S. Military.
The Stoddard County Honor Guard will provide the firing of the volley for the Memorial Service.
Swearengin, SMSgt. USAF Ret., has been the director at the cemetery since it opened in 2003. He was honored by the Missouri Veterans Commission by receiving the Employee of the Month Award in 2013. He has also helped organize the cemetery's three annual events, including the Memorial Day Ceremony, Veterans Day Ceremony and Wreaths Across America.
Families and friends of those buried at the cemetery are invited to attend, as well as members of the general public. For more information, contact the cemetery office at (573) 568-3871.
Dexter, Missouri - The City of Dexter Tourism Committee has created a SURVEY and would like the public's input.
The Tourism Committee would like your help in understanding what is needed in the Dexter community and would like to "BRAND" our city.
Branding is when you create a unique name and image for your town and will be used mainly through advertising campaigns to attract people to your area and retain loyal customers using a consistent theme. What is Dexter's brand? Complete the survey and let the Tourism Committee know your thoughts and how you see our great city of Dexter.
What Factors Make the city of Dexter great? Is it the people, the food, the outdoor environments and transit systems, incredible art, or architecture?
In a hope to build a better tomorrow, the Tourism Committee has been inspired to dig down deep to research the ideas of what are the attractive qualities and virtues of Dexter, Missouri. So please get involved and complete the survey. Your opinion counts!
The deadline to complete the survey is May 24, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. It is quick and easy!
Click HERE to take the City of Dexter Tourism Committee Survey.
Dexter, Missouri - The local Altrusa International Club met recently at Hickory Log in Dexter to name their "Altrusans of the Year".
Tammy Robinson, Diane Robinson, Terri Chema and Kyra Taylor were named "Altrusans of the Year!"
What is Altrusa? It is an international association of business executives and professional women and men who volunteer their time and talents in projects dedicated to community betterment.
Annual dues are $75.00 and their main campaign is to promote literacy in the area. They meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Hickory Log restaurant.
Service projects are annual Scavenger Hunt for Food, B.R.A.V.E., Literacy Kits, UCAN, Laundry Baskets Full of Love, annual scholarship, Donated care packages to military, donate BINGO prizes to Stoddard County ARC, Snowman Soup, Emergency Buckets, Books to Mother-to-Mother program, Book Fair, Painted Pumpkins, Literacy Lotto for Make a Difference Day and so much more!
Anyone interested in joining the organization is encouraged to contact Kathy white at (573) 624-4070 or Kyra Taylor at (573) 624-5009.
Dexter, Missouri - The local Altrusa International Club met recently at Hickory Log in Dexter to name their 2017 High School Scholarship recipient.
Janie Lindsey, daughter of Elaina Lindsey and Kevin Lindsey received the $500 scholarship. Her plans are to attend Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau and major in Molecular Biology and minor in Mathematics. She has ambitions to work in genetics primarily focusing on Alzheimer's Disease.
Lindsey is a 2017 Dexter High School graduate and was Valedictorian of her senior class with a 4.34 GPA.
Pictured from left to right are Jane Smith, Altrusa Treasurer, Janie Lindsey, and Kath White, Altrusa President.
