The Young Lawyers Section of The Jacksonville Bar Association on Oct. 20 hosted its annual Tee it Up golf tournament to benefit the Jacksonville Public Education Fund and the Ribault High School Future Lawyers.
The education fund is an organization that connects research with civic voice to bring about action in support of quality public schools for all children in Duval County.
The YLS board mentored The Ribault High School Future Lawyers, a group of students who want to become lawyers.
Many of the mentees come from poverty and struggling backgrounds, and through our efforts we provide the young men and women guidance and support to follow a path into the legal field.
The students were able to participate in mock trials, visit the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse, Duval County Courthouse, State Attorney’s Office and Public Defender’s Office.
Our goal is to raise money to expand the program and make it a true staple in the community. I am pleased to say that this year’s golf tournament is one huge step in that very direction.
The golfers gathered at the Ocean Course at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and had lunch, followed by registration where each received a custom golf shirt and swag bag filled with goodies.
As each foursome raced to their starting hole, the sense of competition in the air ignited. Whether it was winning a new car, being closest to the pin or having the longest drive, there was plenty of competition to go around.
After the clubs were stowed back into their bags, the golfers tallied their scorecards and the announcement of the winning team loomed. The victorious foursome was sponsored by Thames Markey & Heekin: Brad Markey, Rob Heekin, Charles Keller and team captain Ryan “The Hazard” Hyde.
Each member of the team received a prize pack full of golf gear and accessories from the Inn & Club Golf Shop.
While there was only one winning team, the true winners are the Ribault Future Lawyers. The final contributions aren’t in, but we expect to donate at least $10,000 to the charity, which will provide much-needed support to the students.
One of the proudest supporters of the group, U.S. District Judge Brian Davis, sent a personal message to Ribault Future Lawyers.
“Aim for success! Best wishes and good luck,” he wrote.
We could not have said it better, and are proud to have had the great fortune to raise money for this truly magnificent organization and these special young men and women.
The future is bright indeed for our legal community.
If you are interested in getting involved with the program, contact Alex Hill at [email protected].