Earlier this year, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-cost lunch in the Eastern York School District (EYSD) reached a high of just over 50%. To help support families in need, Swing for Change, a charity golf tournament, will be held on Saturday, July 26, at Cool Creek Golf Club, 300 Cool Creek Road, Wrightsville. It will begin at 8 a.m.

The tournament will be played as a scramble, and registration is open to individuals or groups. Prizes will be awarded, and details are in the process of being finalized.

"The main purpose of the outing is to raise awareness of food insecurity in Eastern York School District," said Tony Lewis, who is organizing the tournament with River's Edge Community Services. "I was not aware of it until I began working with Power Packs and the Giving Table."

Tony and his wife, Helen, were instrumental in bringing the Power Packs Project - a Lancaster-based nonprofit that provides free food and a recipe for a meal weekly to families in need - to EYSD in 2023. They also expanded the program to include the Giving Table, supplementing the Power Packs distribution with additional nonperishables and other items. And they worked with WellSpan to secure a grant for cooking classes, offering EYSD students an opportunity to take an active role in healthy eating.

"(The golf tournament) will hopefully raise the awareness and provide some money to be used on direct programs," Tony shared. "Eastern York School District and River's Edge Community Services were very helpful getting Power Packs established and care very much about the community and families. They both have been very receptive about the event and continue to work with me as the event is planned."

Tricia Henise, president of River's Edge Community Services, said she was happy to help Lewis when he approached her about the fundraiser.

"The golf tournament is a great opportunity to bring awareness of what many of the families and students of Eastern York School District are dealing with - food insecurity," she said. "We get busy in our world and life that we forget to look around and understand what others are going through. This is a great opportunity to support and help others."

As Henise explained, River's Edge Community Services is a faith-based human services organization in partnership with area congregations, service clubs and related agencies that cooperatively identify and actively pursue ways to meet the needs of the community within the EYSD. 

"We are an organization that came together around 2015," Henise explained. "The founder, Carolyn Livingston, started this organization so that all churches and organizations would come together to support the community. She noticed that while churches were doing their own reach out, it was a little here and there. But by pulling all the churches and organizations together, we could help one another support the community without redundancy."

River's Edge has been able to support a variety of community initiatives, including Power Packs, a backpack program for the district, the Christmas outreach program Project Toybox, book drives and more.

Tony expects the community to turn out to support the golf tournament, noting he's seen firsthand the generosity of the people who use the services of Power Packs and the Giving Table.

"The reactions seen during the Power Pack and Giving Table pickups - a lot of them just need a little help," he shared. "Showing up, making sure they do not take too much so the next person has enough, is a good feeling and shows the type of community we live in. Several volunteers have shared several stories of sharing and kindness."

District representatives are happy Tony came up with the idea for the tournament.

"Anything we can do to raise funds for children and families to have access to meals is a priority," said Ken Marx, business manager for EYSD.

Tony emphasized that all proceeds from the tournament will stay local.

"Exact distribution will occur after the event with ideas from the school district," he stated. "It may include money for the Giving Table, food bank, unpaid student lunch balances or other areas of need."

Lunch will be provided after the tournament by Big Bob's BBQ. There is an option to purchase lunch only.

To register for the tournament or order lunch, visit https://s4ceysd.com through Friday, July 25.