Golf balls fall from sky to help provide food for those in need

A thousand golf balls fell from the sky and landed on the turf outside the clubhouse at Heritage Oaks Golf Club in Northbrook during a unique fundraiser that will help the Hunger Resource Network purchase chicken for more than 100 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

Held in a bag that suspended below the bucket of an aerial lift truck, the balls were released at the end of a countdown and bounced in multiple directions as they landed. Prizes starting at $1,000 were awarded for the three balls that landed closest to a plastic tray serving as a golf hole, and a $25 prize was awarded for the ball that landed farthest from the cup.

Director Dan DeSio said the Hunger Resource Network, which is based in Northbrook, supplies needy agencies in the Chicago metropolitan area with 126,000 pounds of chicken twice a year.

"We were going to do a golf outing, but we didn't have enough time to do it, so we decided to do a smaller version of a golf event, and that was the golf ball drop," DeSio said.

"It was just an inexpensive way to build some community and help raise funds for chicken."

Balls cost $10 each or 15 balls for $100. There was also three levels of corporate sponsorship available for the event.

Since its inception in 2009, the Hunger Resource Network has distributed over 4 million pounds of food.