A beautiful, sunny day greeted golf teams that came out to raise money for scholarships at Beaufort County Community College Foundation’s 23^rd-annual Invitational Golf Tournament, sponsored by PotashCorp.

The tournament took place at the Washington Yacht & Country Club and was preceded by live and silent auctions and a seafood banquet Oct. 20. Stewart’s Jewelry was the premier sponsor of the auction.

The tournament is the largest single, annual fundraising event for the foundation. It raises funds for scholarships to help eligible students with the cost of tuition and books, as well as emergency grants. Last year, the foundation awarded 112 scholarships totaling over $85,000.

“There were donors bringing in auction items up until the final day. I was amazed by the outpouring of support from the community,” said Serena Sullivan, executive director of the BCCC Foundation. “I was shocked by Stewart’s Jewelry’s generous contribution. It shows how the business community in the area holds BCCC in high esteem.”

Twenty-two teams competed in the tournament, with the first-place championship flight winners being Arne Hansen, Shelton McNair, Bill Price and Bryan Whitehurst. The second-place championship flight winners were Tom Haislet, John Hudson, Jeff Larson and Bill Wall. The events secured more than $27,000 in profits with over 100 items up for bid.

The items included a ring, kayaks and a weeklong stay at a beach house in Nags Head.

“This was such a wonderful event,” said Bill Wall, who serves both on the board of trustees for the college and on the board for the BCCC Foundation. “Serena has done such a great job this year pulling together all of these sponsors. The foundation is building its reputation as an organization that can get things done for the college.”

The foundation is currently accepting applications for spring 2017 scholarships.

Students interested in applying can find the application online or stop by the BCCC Foundation office in Building 1. The deadline for applications is Nov. 10.