Golfing for a cause: Hozhoni Foundation hosting fifth annual Puttin’ in the Pines

Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff)

Aug. 4--Every August for the last five years, Ed Gussio has donned his golf gloves, assembled clubs and putters and driven the few miles to Flagstaff's Continental Country Club golf course for a round on the green.

The vice president of Crest Insurance Group, 22-year Flagstaff resident and avid golfer isn't going for a casual tournament, though. Instead, he and several teams of four are putting for a cause -- more specifically, for Hozhoni Foundation's annual Puttin' in the Pines.

In its fifth iteration this year, the event raises what president and CEO Monica Attridge called "necessary funds" to keep the organization and its many programs afloat.

"The proceeds from this event go into the pretty large gap left by state funding," Attridge said.

Hozhoni, a Navajo word meaning beauty and connoting balance and harmony, opened in 1970 as an alternative for parents whose kids had intellectual disabilities. Many were wary of institutionalizing their children; the abuse in asylums and homes for the mentally ill had been well chronicled at that point, with the shuttering of many institutions just around the corner. Hozhoni was a place that allowed parents proximity to their kids as well as gave them the assurance of a safe space. Today, the organization serves 115 adults with disabilities, meeting basic needs such as housing medical care.

Hozhoni's services include group housing, employment programs as well as a variety of courses and activities.

In Arizona, eligibility for services such as those Hozhoni provides are determined by Access, which falls under Medicaid. Approximately 70% of funds are federal and 30% state funded. Donations are crucial.

Money from the golf tournament goes directly toward dental care, yoga classes, life skills courses, cooking and nutrition classes, horticultural classes as well as music, speech, art and massage therapy.

"Our aim through these is to provide a more holistic approach then just state funds allow in serving the individual," Attridge said.

One of the organization's most prominent programs is in the arts. The Hozhoni Art Gallery hosts several exhibitions every year displaying art made by Hozhoni clients -- from sculpture to painting to sketches, the list goes on.

Attridge never golfs, save for during the Hozhoni event. She also makes sure to emphasize that being a golfer is not a prerequisite to attend Puttin' in the Pines. In fact, several past participants had never even held a golf club, much less played the sport.

"I'm a dedicated golfer once a year," Attridge said.

While Hozhoni clients don't typically attend the event, the proceeds generated from it stretch far into their daily lives, Attridge said.

This year, a total of 64 participants have signed up so far, individual tickets run at $125 per person, or $500 for a team of four, with prizes awarded throughout the day. Those include tickets to a dinner at Twin Arrows, and, this year, a lucky someone could even bring back home a car.

"It's all about the cause, it's about raising money for an organization that needs it, that provides an extremely valuables service to the community," Gussio said. "To me, when I'm playing this tournament every year, it's not really about winning. It's about having fun and giving."

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