When Drew Menscer was assigned a project as an officer in the National Honor Society at Gray’s Creek High School, she had loftier goals than baking a cake to sell or getting a few items together to auction.
“I’m pretty athletic and I’m really into sports, so I decided to combine all of that,’’ the senior member of the school’s softball team said. “I wanted to give back to my community through that.’’
And give back she did. Menscer, with an assist from her mother, Nena Menscer, organized a charity golf tournament at nearby Cypress Lakes Golf Course.
The tournament was held on March 30 this year and drew a field of 17 teams, about 66 players. Menscer was also able to line up 22 sponsors for the tournament, with all the money they donated going to Menscer’s chosen charity, Rick’s Place.
Rick’s Place, according to a brief history on its Facebook page, was founded by the Rick Herrera Foundation. It’s a 50-acre park in Fayetteville that features fun high-quality activities for soldiers and their friends and families.
Menscer’s golf tournament raised $5,000, which she donated to Rick’s Place.
She said she got the word out about her tournament by posting fliers on social media and also sharing them with people in her neighborhood.
The whole project took about six months from the time she had her initial idea for a golf tournament until the tournament was held last month.
Being a full-time student at Gray’s Creek plus playing softball, she admitted making the whole thing happen wasn’t easy.
“The hardest part was trying to get everything organized,’’ Menscer said. “If it wasn’t for my mom, I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. It was tiring to work with my schedule, trying to pick up donations and figuring those things out. My mom had to help me a ton.’’
But Menscer hinted that business acumen runs in her family. “I have a lot of entrepreneurs in my family,’’ she said. “I just decided to do it.’’
Menscer said she doesn’t have strong ties to the military in her own family, but she was drawn to the project because of her friends with parents who are military-connected. “I know how hard it is for them,’’ she said. “That’s what influenced me the most.’’
As for her future, Menscer plans to enroll at Elon University this fall where she’s earned a scholarship to play softball. Not surprisingly, she wants to major in business.
“I’m grateful for the experience,’’ she said of the successful fundraiser. “We raised $5,000 for Rick’s Place, which I’m really proud of. I hope they can use it.’’
Photo: Drew Menscer