Lake Forest Church's Charity Golf Outing Will Send Kids To College For Free

LAKE FOREST, IL — The fifth annual Faith on the Fairway charity golf outing will offer five students from North Chicago Community High School a $10,000 scholarship to College of Lake County.

Faith Lutheran Church of Lake Forest's event will tee off at 8 a.m. on Sept. 20 and Foss Park Golf Course, where students will compete in an 18-hole golf match and a featured hole-in-one contest. Golfers were encouraged to register in advance at faithonthefairway.org.

Since it's debut in 2021,the Faith on the Fairway charity golf outing has raised $175,000 to fund scholarships for NCCHS. Working in tandem with Dr. John Price, Superintendent of North Chicago School District 187, and the nonprofit North Chicago Public Education Foundation, the project has sent more than 100 North Chicago graduates to college.

“We started this to serve our neighbors in a way which the public school district desired, yet we continue to do this because our church members receive the blessing which comes from serving other people,” pastor Rev. James Buckman said.

At a previous outing, Price said he remembers speaking to a student who knew nothing about golf and had never been on a course before. A volunteer from the church learned the girl had dreams of joining the National Guard and becoming a military nurse, and offered to connect her with professionals in the field.

Both the church and the school district, which grants the scholarships, rely on sponsorships to maximize the proceeds used to fund the cost-free college program.

“This is how it works,” Buckman said. “We need golfers, and we need sponsors. Consider being a part of this wonderful event, whether you play golf or not. After golf, there’s a reception and lunch with an awards banquet. It’s a fantastic day – and all the proceeds go toward building a better future for the students of North Chicago.”