Avance Houston Raises Funds for Education at Golf Tournament

HOUSTON: AVANCE Houston recently held a golf tournament on Monday, November 2 at the Wildcat Golf Club off Almeda Road on the city’s south side to raise money for its education program. The event featured several noted people from the community who played and also helped organize the event.

The Board Secretary for AH, Surender Talwar, was the Chair of the AVANCE-NFLA Golf Tournament which featured more than 10 NFL players who joined in the teams with other played golfers. This was AH’s second golf tournament and it was supported by several members of the community through Talwar’s outreach efforts, which helped the tournament to raise over $80,000 for AH’s education program.

AH works with parents and their children and instills the value of parent engagement and a pre-school education to ensure student success in school. “I have personally met families helped by Avance and see how their dreams to see their children succeed are realized through AVANCE,“ said Talwar.

In the past, AH has received support from the Indo American Charity Foundation where Talwar was previously a Director and later Executive Director. Other past and present Directors of the IACF, namely Pradeep Gokhale and Vanitha Pothuri came forward to play and support the worthy cause. Gokhale and his team were able to finish 2nd out of the field, competing against former National Football League players. Talwar, who is a non-golfer, was shocked when he sunk a hole-in-one during his very first time on a golf course.

Talwar joined the pilot for a flyover of the golf course in a helicopter from which they did a “ball drop”.  Players purchase golf balls with an assigned number and then all these balls are dropped from the helicopter. The ball that falls closest to the hole wins a prize. On this occasion Talwar was once again surprised when his golf ball landed the closest and won with a very rare hole in one! For his effort, Talwar won a portable golf practice net.

“It was my first time golfing and what a miracle to land a hole in one,” said a delighted but shocked Talwar. “I will consider taking golf lessons and hopefully they will let me use a helicopter.“