NAPLES, FLA. — Everyone loves a good game of golf, and today, a special partnership is bringing that joy to a group of adults with disabilities.
Participants from the Pathways to Opportunity program took their skills to the green on Friday at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples for a Golf Skills Showcase offered by the I GOT THIS Foundation.
Organizers say this event is an opportunity to help them build confidence and community.
“Seeing that they have the opportunities just like anyone else is incredible and I can't tell you how much this means to us,” said Jessica Tursi, Goodwill SWFL’s director of disability services.
All the adults came together to showcase their skills after a five-day golf camp where they learned how to golf.
“Oh my God, they love it. They’re just happy to be here, they’re happy to learn, and they’re really excited to be able to engage with their community in a way they thought maybe wasn’t possible before,” said Ashley Price, director of development with Goodwill Southwest Florida.
Price explained that they created this space for these adults to thrive and learn real-life skills despite their disabilities.
“Pathways to Opportunity was born because there’s a gap in skill workshops and growing opportunities for adults with disabilities. So, they age out of the school system and there’s a desert of resources,” Price said. “We’re here to support them and help them learn life skills and continue getting them out in the community so that they’re able to thrive,” she added.
The event is a joint effort with the I GOT THIS Foundation, which is bringing this group together, fostering their confidence in themselves and their love for the sport—two skills that Tursi says will help them go further.
“So, they get to come to our program and learn life skills and then the real-world application of them. While this is fun and exciting, they get to put into practice everything we learn in-house,” Tursi added.
The Golf Skills Showcase is the highlight of the five-day I GOT THIS Golf Camp, which runs from June 24-28. The camp is the foundation’s flagship golf instruction program, providing athletes aged 13 and older with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to learn fun and useful golf skills, led by professional golf instructors.
For more information on how Goodwill SWFL positively impacts the community, visit www.goodwillswfl.org.
