ALTMAR-PARISH-WILLLIAMSTOWN – For the second year in a row, APW Junior/Senior High School Counselor Richard Algie is combining two of his passions: golf and child advocacy.
Algie, who has worked as a counselor at APW for three years, is currently in the middle of fundraising for the McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center’s annual event 100 Holes 4 Kids.
The event is a 12 hour long golfing marathon at the Bellevue Country Club located in Syracuse on June 8. About 25 golfers participate and have three months to fundraise a minimum of $3,000 for the child advocacy center. Algie has fundraised just over $1,150 so far.
“I love it,” Algie said. “The fact that I’m able to 1: Raise money that I know is directly going to benefit students who are going through such horrible circumstances, and 2: The whole day I get to play golf – that’s pretty darn cool to me.”
Algie participated in the event last year after a friend had told him about it and with the help of his generous sponsors, he was able to raise over $3,500. He gave his gratitude to those sponsors.
“APW raised the most of any of my donors, over $1,000 was raised by staff in the district. World Fuel Services and International Wire also gave generous donations,” Algie said.
The event as a whole fundraised over $100,000 between 20 golfers last year.
The child advocacy center, which also helps children who have been abused in Oswego County, has a streamlined approach to partner law enforcement, children and family services, social workers, medical professionals, victim advocates, prosecutors, therapists and volunteers all in one place. The center helps about 1,000 children every year.
To make sure a child does not have to tell their story multiple times and relive trauma, McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center, whenever possible, provides “a highly-trained forensic interviewer who knows the right questions to ask in a way that does not re-traumatize the child. The child connects to a victim advocate, gets one medical exam, and meets with a therapist. Team members work together to provide the child and family the support services they need – all the way through trial and beyond,” according to the center’s website.
As a high school counselor, Algie feels strongly about child advocacy. With all other fundraising events cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, 100 Holes 4 Kids is the only event to bring in funds for the center because the golfers will have very little to no interaction with each other.
Algie said the event actually does not have to make many changes to adhere to social distancing guidelines because each golfer is already in their own cart to make sure they reach all 100 holes.
“A center like McMahon Ryan [Child] Advocacy Center relies on funding and donations to keep those services going for kids,” Algie said. “Just because we’re in a pandemic, doesn’t mean all of the horrible things stop in life, like these things are still happening… The economical impact of [the pandemic] has made it harder to receive donations.”
Algie said the pandemic makes the fundraising this year so much more important. He said with the children no longer physically going to school, mandated reporters such as teachers and counselors are not seeing the signs of abuse and so it is much easier for it to be hidden and continued.
“We do our best to check on kids and do home visits, but ultimately, it’s much easier to hide abuse right now,” Algie said. “Something like [the fundraising event] brings it to the forefront; it allows people to discuss it. You know, it happens in our community. It’s real.”
To support Algie, his fundraising link can be found here. Corporate sponsors or anyone with questions are able to email him: [email protected].
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