Drive, Putt, Donate Adult & Teen Challenge of the Midlands hosts 21st annual golf marathon

Brian Hart has been sober since 2012. He had been a meth addict for 25 years.

“I went through 10 different rehab programs. I tried everything I could think of, but I couldn’t get out. 30-, 60-, 90-day programs weren’t giving me what I needed,” Hart said.

A job led Hart to Omaha, Neb., and while he wandered through the streets at 8 a.m., high on meth, he came across a church doing an outreach program. Hart began attending the church regularly.

“I would go to church high because I always knew God was the answer, but I didn’t know how to make the two (rehabilitation and the Bible) connect.”

That’s where he met Adult & Teen Challenge of the Midlands students who, he remembers, had been just like him.

“Except they had something that I didn’t, and I wanted that.”

Hart learned about Adult & Teen Challenge, an organization offering 12- to 18-month residential rehabilitation programs across the globe, through their students completing the second phase of their rehabilitation process in Omaha after leaving the rehabilitation center in Colfax. After hearing the students talk about the level of individual attention they received from staff members in the program and their newfound relationships with God, Hart decided to sign up. His church footed the $750 enrollment fee, a fraction of the $1,200 to $1,300 per month the organization spends caring for each resident.

“It completely changed my life and was the best decision I ever made. They just really taught me about the Bible and showed me how to live.”

Today, Hart works as a vehicle donation program driver for Adult & Teen Challenge’s staff, picking up old vehicles the organization will auction off to fund their rehabilitation programs. The vehicle auctions, however, only cover a portion of operation costs. The rehabilitation center in Colfax, manages a gutter and downspout business and since 1997, has hosted an annual charity golf marathon.

On Monday, Sept. 10, a sponsorship from Bankers Trust and Lakeside Fellowship will allow Adult & Teen Challenge of the Midlands to rent out the entirety of Beaver Creek Golf Club’s close-cropped turf and its clubhouse for the day. WHO radio will continue its decade-long tradition of broadcasting live from the course between 5 and 9 a.m. to watch the expected 80-plus golfers tee off bright and early at 7 a.m. and work the phones to take donations from callers.

Before the golfers set foot on the green to play a 100-hole game, they ask friends, family and neighbors to donate a certain amount for each hole they play. Businesses will also sponsor certain holes on the course. Throughout the day, carts will zip over the grass as golfers complete as many holes as possible and hope to win a shiny green John Deere Gator donated by Van Wall Equipment in a par three hole-in-one competition.

The golfers may play a rigorous, tiring game, but regional executive director of operations Bob Larson insists the drive, putts and punches aren’t the goal.

“Our motto is it’s nothing about golf. It’s about fun, getting people together and raising money to help people who are struggling,” Larson said.

Although Adult & Teen Challenge spans the globe, the golf marathon maintains its local flavor. Kum & Go will donate breakfast pizzas for the first time in the event’s history. Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe will provide lunch and Cratty Shack will bring cool, creamy confections to the course to stave off the heat of the afternoon. By the time most participants have worn themselves out taking swings, they can retire to the clubhouse to feast on prime rib.

Between teeing off and scraping the last bit of ice cream from the bottom of a cup, golfers will meet Adult & Teen Challenge staff, many of whom, like Hart, have successfully completed the program, as well as and current students.

“Sponsors end up talking to some of the residents and hearing their stories. That’s when you sit back and say ‘this is good,’” said Larson.

All funds raised will remain in Iowa to aid Adult & Teen Challenge’s rehabilitation efforts close to home. For the past several years, the golf marathon has brought in more than $100,000 worth of donations annually. Hart alone has raised $7,000 for the organization at this event over a three-year period.

“That’s why I’ve raised so much money for the golf marathon, because I believe in this place,” Hart said. “Most of the people who knew me had given up on me. They knew what it took for me to become sober, and it had to be a miracle.”

Hart and his wife will celebrate their two-year anniversary in September. He is also working on earning his credentials to become a pastor.

Check out the 21st Annual Golf Marathon's event page on Facebook to learn more about the schedule of events. There is no deadline to register to play.

To make a donation during WHO’s live broadcast on Sept. 10, call 800-596-1706 toll-free.

Contact Phoebe Marie Brannock at 641-792-3121 ext. 6547 or pbrannock@newtondailynews.com