44 teams of four golfers each team up to compete in the 8th Annual Viking Cup Charity Scramble Golf Tournament. Each hole was sponsored by a different local business. Raffle tickets were also sold for a chance to win gift baskets filled with items donated from businesses around the area. Photos by Zac Burtt/Siuslaw News

Community donates, plays golf to support kid’s volleyball and baseball teams

Sept. 13, 2022 — On Sept. 10, 136 golfers turned out for the 8th Annual Viking Cup Charity Scramble Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for Western Lane Baseball (WLB) and Siuslaw Club Volleyball (SCV).

According to Pixie Center, one of the organizers, neither of these youth sports organizations receives funding from local school districts, making this fundraiser especially important.

“This is the only fundraiser for either organization it supports, so it’s important to both,” said Center. “It’s always been really successful, this year especially.”

Local businesses showed their support by sponsoring teams of golfers, sponsoring individual holes on the course or donating items to the event’s raffle.

Staff from PeaceHealth Peace Harbor volunteered their time to prepare and serve delicious food at the event.

The support provided by this event allows WLB to provide baseball, at a reasonable price, to middle schoolers, something that isn’t offered by Siuslaw or Mapleton Middle Schools.

“Baseball is expensive,” said President WLB Tony Dodson. “Umpires are a big cost for us and equipment. Essentially, this single tournament allows us to not have to fundraise other than this.”

According to Dodson, this fundraiser also allows WLB to charge players much less than what equivalent youth traveling teams must pay to play on teams.

“What this event does is, it keeps the fees we have to charge the kids fairly cheap,” said Dodson. “We charge kids half of what most other organizations are charging kids to play. We can also do scholarships if we need to.”

For more information about WLB, contact Dodson at 541-999-8791.

SCV is a program that organizes traveling volleyball teams for players that would like to get more time off the court after the end of the middle or high school regular “school season.”

Last year, the organization had two teams, a team for girls 14 years old and under and one for girls 16 and under. The hope is for additional teams this year, if coaches can be found.

“When club teams are going strong, you see league titles with the high school team,” said Rich DeSantis, coach of last winter’s 14u team. “That is the goal. I want to see the high school program thrive.”

The SCV is also on the search for a new director for the club, as well as coaches. Those interested in helping with the youth volleyball organization can email [email protected].​

To make a financial contribution to either club, people can make checks payable to “Western Lane Baseball” and mail to:

Western Lane Baseball

05625 Nordahl Road

Florence OR 97439

Unless specified, donations will be split evenly between both clubs though any request to direct an entire donation to one of the two will be honored.