Chamber launches first-ever Golf Ball Drop fundraiser

By Ed Pierce

One of the most exhilarating and entertaining charitable fundraisers is coming to the Lakes Region during the annual Summerfest celebration this coming week and promises to become a permanent fixture in the area.

The first Golf Ball Drop event is scheduled to be conducted Saturday, June 19 in Windham and could deliver an unexpected windfall to a lucky winner while also assisting the Windham Food Pantry and Summerfest at the same time.

“The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber has started a new event that we will be doing at local fairs/festivals,” said Robin Mullins, the Executive Director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. “It will eventually be a chamber fundraiser that we'll split with the events. This year, being our first year, and with COVID making fundraising difficult for some local events, we decided to have all monies raised go to the event and/or the local food pantry.”

According to Mullins, the Windham Summerfest asked to be the chamber’s first event of their new Golf Ball Drop.

“Anyone can purchase golf balls for $10 each,” Mullins said. “On Saturday, June 19 at 1 p.m. the Windham Fire Department will be dropping from their ladder truck all of the balls that have been sold.”

The drop will be held at the "bowl" field just off Windham Center Road near Windham High School.

“We'll have a metal pole, or pin for those who play golf, set up and the ball falling ‘closest to the pin’ will be designated the winner,” Mullins said. “The winner will receive 10 percent of the monies raised from the sale of the balls. Summerfest will split with the Windham Food Pantry the remaining monies raised.”

The late Bob Stone, a PGA tour golfer of the 1970s and a Senior PGA tour competitor in the 1980s, is credited with conceiving the idea for a fundraising golf ball drop based upon a trip he took to New York City on New Year’s Eve in 1981 to watch the annual ball drop event in Times Square. He used the idea to drop numbered golf balls from a helicopter over a golf course in Missouri to raise money for a local children’s charity there in 1984 and the idea took hold and has now spread across America employing different methods to drop the golf balls. 

Mullins said the Golf Ball Drop at this year’s Summerfest celebration will be streamed live on Facebook and is being co-sponsored with the chamber by the Sebago Lakes Rotary Club, Modern Woodmen of the World and the Windham Parks and Recreation Department.

“We do plan on doing this event at Sebago Days and the Gray Blueberry Festival this summer as well,” Mullins said.

To register to purchase golf balls for the Summerfest Golf Ball Drop, go to https://www.sebagolakeschamber.com/event/summerfest-golf-ball-drop <