SPOKANE, Wash. — Golfers from across the Inland Northwest teed off today for the 39th annual Rosauers Open, a weekend tournament that has become a cornerstone fundraiser for Vanessa Behan, a local nonprofit serving vulnerable children and families.
The tournament, which continues through Sunday, will bring the Rosauers Open’s total fundraising to more than $4 million for Vanessa Behan since the event’s inception.
The nonprofit provides shelter and services to children and families who are experiencing abuse or neglect and lack a safe place to go.
Amy Knapton Vega, executive director of Vanessa Behan, emphasized the tournament’s critical role in the organization’s operations. “This tournament’s been going on for 39 years, which is the same amount of time Vanessa Behan stores have been open,” Knapton Vega said. “This really has been a mainstay for our budget as a privately funded organization. This really means the ability for us to keep our doors open, provide the services to the community for children and families and so this really allows us to do our work.”
The weekend schedule features the Pro-Am competition today and tomorrow, followed by the main professional tournament Friday through Sunday. The event draws top golfers and amateurs from throughout the Pacific Northwest region.
Bud Nameck, a member of the Rosauers Open Committee, said the caliber of competition attracts skilled players from across the region. “Friday, Saturday and Sunday we’ve got the top professionals and amateurs from throughout the Pacific Northwest. So, from Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, they’ll be playing and there’s some very good golf,” Nameck said.
The public is welcome to attend and watch the tournament throughout the weekend.
For those interested in supporting Vanessa Behan beyond attending the tournament, Knapton Vega outlined multiple ways to contribute. “People can just write a check and mail it in. They can go online and make a donation,” she said. “And I just always like to remind people that there’s other ways to give. Right? There’s the monetary, you know, like the in-kind things like diapers and wipes and formula, things that we’re going to go through very regularly, can always be donated or people’s time.”
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