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Y! MyWebJeff Wyler Charity golf returns
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Springfield, Ohio — A son's death and a boss' kindness about nine years ago culminated in a golf tournament to curtail children from falling into crime.
Christopher Dodds, then 18-year-old son of an employee at Jeff Wyler Chevrolet's formerly Monte Zinn car dealership, had been in and out of the juvenile court system, according to his father, Dwayne. He began rewarding his son for good behavior and Christopher "turned his life around," he said. But he was killed in a brawl at a softball tournament in 1999.
In his son's memory, Dodds decided to seek support to start a golf tournament. At 1 p.m. today Aug. 16, the eighth annual Jeff Wyler Charity Invitational golf tournament will be held at Reid Memorial Park Golf Course.
This year, 144 golfers will play for the first-place prize of $1,000, with about 40 additional prizes, Dodds said. Proceeds go to Care-It's for Kids, a local nonprofit.
The organization's goal is "dangling carrots" -Care-It's- of encouragement in front of kids involved with the juvenile court system, said Dodds, who serves as Care-It's for Kids president.
The organization pays for items such as televisions, shoes, clothes or school supplies for children in the juvenile court system who make positive strides in their lives, he said. It also buys tools for Building Our Youth and Community, a program allowing male juvenile offenders to build houses for Habitat for Humanity.
If his son could turn his life around having positive incentives, Dodds said, so can others.
"An idea spurs (in your head), but you have to have someone come out and say, 'I'll pay for it,'" Dodds said, adding that Jeff Wyler, owner of Jeff Wyler Chevrolet at 1501 Hillcrest Ave., was that someone.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0349 or dselden@coxohio.com.
