Golfers hit the green Sept. 20 to grant college scholarships for North Chicago High School grads
Every April, golf aficionados have their eye on Augusta National Golf Club for the PGA Masters, but in September, Chicago area golfers can hit the green at the Faith on the Fairway golf outing at Foss Park Golf Course in North Chicago. The winners at Faith on the Fairway are North Chicago high school graduates who receive the gift of a cost-free college education thanks to the combined efforts of Faith Lutheran Church of Lake Forest and the North Chicago Public Education Foundation.
On Sept. 20, the fifth annual Faith on the Fairway golf outing plans to raise $50,000 to send members of North Chicago Community High School’s graduating class to College of Lake County at no cost to their families.
Faith Lutheran Church operates an active ministry to the neighborhood five miles to the north. The Faith on the Fairway charity golf outing grew out of the congregation’s desire to serve their neighbors in a lasting and impactful way. The vibrantly diverse north Chicago suburb struggles economically, with a high poverty rate, a very low per capita income, and a homeownership rate far below the national average.
After learning that young people rarely stay in North Chicago but rather leave the community in search of better financial prospects and more robust job opportunities, Rev. James Buckman proposed a way for his church to make a difference for those young people and the prospects available to them.
Faith on the Fairway is the result of a partnership between Faith Lutheran Church and the North Chicago Public Education Foundation. The college scholarships funded by the joint effort, according to Buckman, “will help young people and their families and this community of North Chicago for a long time to come.” He added that the members of Faith Lutheran Church are thankful for the opportunity to support their neighbors in this way.
The fifth annual Faith on the Fairway golf outing incorporates current students from North Chicago Community High School, scholarship recipients from past events, and local notables, including respected educators and the mayor of North Chicago, Leon Rockingham.
Rockingham assures that the city of North Chicago is fully behind this program and confirmed that he will be attending the 2025 event. He praised Buckman for stepping in with his congregation to support these scholarships.
“The chance to go to college means a lot,” Rockingham said, “When a child knows they have this opportunity, especially when parents want them to continue their education but don’t have the means to make it happen.”
That’s the underlying principle behind the North Chicago Public Education Foundation, an organization focused on North Chicago School District 187 Superintendent Dr. John Price’s commitment that, “Every home in North Chicago comes with a promise of cost-free college.”
Cost-free college can be a tall order, but Faith on the Fairway has helped deliver on Price’s promise for more than 100 students to date. The program currently has 56 students enrolled in classes at the College of Lake County, all on track to receive two-year-certificates, and some of whom will transfer to four-year degree programs.
The members of Faith, the volunteers who operate, promote, and participate in the Faith on the Fairway event, have provided more than financial support to the scholarship program. They’ve stepped up to mentor students in the program and in some cases helped meet the material needs of the student’s families.
The North Chicago Public Education Foundation, which runs the scholarship program, and the Faith on the Fairway golf outing, which financially supports the initiative, both rely on sponsorships to maximize the proceeds going to fund the student scholarships. It’s the reason that both the foundation and golf event exist.
Buckman invites area golf fans to reinvest their PGA Masters level passion in building a better future for North Chicago’s high school graduates. Participants can enjoy 18 holes of golf at the beautiful Foss Park Golf Course in North Chicago, participate in a hole-in-one contest with a chance to win $10,000, enjoy a reception and lunch with an awards banquet following golf, and know that the proceeds go toward changing lives and strengthening a community.
The fifth annual Faith on the Fairway Golf Outing is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Foss Park Golf Course, North Chicago. For more information or to register, sponsor, or donate, visit faithonthefairway.org.