New Haven Independent

The weather Friday didn’t discourage any of the golfers at Woodbridge Country Club, because they were focused more on raising money for a good cause than on playing a perfect round.

They were there for the seventh Annual Promising Scholars tournament. Beta Tau Boule’, the New Haven charter of Sigma Pi Phi, the oldest African-American fraternity, created the Promising Scholars Fund in 2004 to raise money to help six to eight minority students attend college.

The students are mostly African American males and are chosen based on grades, merit, and need, explained Drew Hawkins(pictured), secretary of Promising Scholars.

The golf tournament is the main fundraiser for Beta Tau Boule’. The targeted fundraising goal for last Friday’s event was $75,000, collected through entry fees, a silent auction, private donations, and corporate sponsorship —- including Morgan Stanley, Mitchells & Richards, and Specialty Packaging.

The event hasgrown exponentially over the past few years. Last year, 80 golfers participated and raised approximately $50,000. This year, 110 golfers registered for the tournament.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven was an underwriting sponsor and assisted the Promising Scholar Fund in setting up its endowment. (Read more about the fund here in an article from the foundation’s annual report.)

“It’s exciting that while the day is centered on golf, we have a positive influence on helping deserving students go to college,” Hawkins said.

As for now, the Promising Scholars Fund helps deserving students on a year-by-year basis and the help is not strictly financial. Ron Peoples, “Sire Archon” (president) of Beta Tau Boule, said that members of the fraternity also serve as mentors for the students.

Treasurer Carlton Highsmith (pictured),whose daughters received a similar scholarship, said that being exposed to the caliber of the Sigma Pi Phi community is encouraging for his children.

Beta Tau Boule’ wants to eventually have the resources to pay full tuition at both the undergraduate and graduate level, said Peoples.

“Our ultimate goal is to fund several students throughout their collegiate education,” said Hawkins. “We want to stay more involved.”

“We know that what we do financially is small peanuts,” said Edward Cherry, past-Sire Archon for Beta Tau Boule, pictured. “But the kids appreciate it. They appreciate the fact that we thought about them.”