This past October I became a member of the web design team at IMAVEX. IMAVEX is a web firm located in Nobelsville right off of 146th street just down the road from Verizon Wireless Music Center and Hamilton Town Center. Located in an absolute explosion of industry and growth of the housing market, IMAVEX is a leader in SEM, web design and development, and online marketing and reputation management. (I actually am in the process of developing, with the help of the three partners, a social media and online reputation package. It will include Twitter, facebook, MySpace, etc. setup, management, and total control or clients. It will allow us to bring our clients to the fore front of this booming “fad” and keep us abreast of all the changes in terms of social media. It is an exciting time, that is for sure.)
But last October, actually the first Monday that I was an employee, I was given the chance to play (golf) in an event called the Show Hope Golf Classic. The event was set in place with the members of Show Hope and IMAVEX to raise money and awareness for Show Hope and all that it is about. The event was held at the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club in Fishers, right off of 116th street, and started in the early hours of the morning.
I arrived early to help set up and get warmed up for the event. I had the chance to bring along a friend of mine, Barrett Young, to play along side of me in the event. I was actually paired with Kevin Burzynski, another IMAVEX employee, and a good friend of his (whose name has escaped me right now.) We played the entire round together and it was nice to get to know Kevin before I had even seen his face in the office.
The event was structured in a baseball format with leagues and divisions. There was even, on hole nine, a home run fence (that was awesome by the way) that if you hit a ball through the foul posts (that is how real it looked) you won a price. (I hit it through the poles. My drive actually would have been in the upper deck had this been on a baseball field.) The prize was a little baseball bat (in keeping with the baseball theme) that had the Show Hope logo on the side. And actually, the event provided quite a few prizes. You received a new hat with the baseball team that you represented, a gift bag with some information about the event, the Show Hope foundation, as well as some golf tees and a divot tool. (It was a really nice divot tool.)
By the time the day was finished, and we were being fed yet another meal (we received lunch and dinner) the silent auction that had been taking place was going on. There were people vying for Colts merchandise, vacation getaways, and even an autographed album from Steven Curtis Chapman. (Steven Curtis Chapman is actually a master mind behind the Show Hope organization. He and Michael W. Smith, who are both super stars in the world of Christian music, are big believers and followers of the Show Hope foundation. I actually had the chance to see them both perform on stage together just last month as I was a volunteer for the event. I was there to pass out information regarding the Show Hope foundation and to speak on behalf of the golf event.
I later found that this was the first year that IMAVEX had been involved in the event. And I have played in my fair share of golf outings over the years, and I have honestly never played in an event of this magnitude. I had just played, a few weeks prior to that, in a Colts outing at Eagle Creek. You would think that an event put on by the Colts would be a pretty big deal. I mean, you have cheerleaders walking around, the coach and players among those playing in the event. But that event did not even compare to the Show Hope Golf Classic.
All in all I had a great time in the event. And I joke, even to this day, about how if that is what a Monday is like in a full time job, I like Mondays already. (This is my first full time job and there was a lot of getting used to when I started. I have gotten over the late nights (if I am up past two in the morning it is a good night) and I have adjusted to the life of an adult. But at first I was not so keen on the idea.)
If you play golf I would highly suggest that you sign up. The event is a little pricey, but look at all you get. You get 18 holes of golf on one of the nicest courses in the state (a private club at that), a gift bag filled with goodies to keep you entertained for weeks, lunch, dinner, the chance to bid on some great prizes in the silent auction, and the ability to help such a great cause in Show Hope. If nothing else can get your attention let that.
I have learned a lot about the Show Hope organization and I am happy that I have been given the chance to be a part of it. Even in the little ways that I have. So go sign up, clean off your golf cleats, and grab your sticks. It is time to hit the course (in October) and get to playing some golf.
Fore.
(I shot 73 with a double on the last hole. I just wanted to throw that in there. I hit a house.)
