In Florida Keys, RS&H Gives One-of-a-Kind Charity Golf Tournament a Swing

Across the country, non-profit organizations and charities host golf tournaments as fundraisers, inviting golfers from business communities of all sizes to play 18 holes for a good cause.

Such is the case for the Conch Scramble on Islamorada in the Florida Keys, but this golf tournament is like no other. Last month at the tournament, golf carts were replaced by boats, golf balls were made of compressed fish food, and every green was an island.

Fortunately, there are a few boat owners in the RS&H Marathon office.

“I can’t play golf, but you don’t have to be able to play golf to help out and have a good time,” said Senior Project Engineer Jacki Hart. “We put our team together and put our boats in the water.”

Six RS&H associates joined in the fun in the Conch Scramble, which raises funds for several area education, health and nature charities. By way of CEI Project Administrator Jackson Taylor’s and CEI Senior Inspector Pablo Mitjans’ boats, they traveled from dock to dock along the Keys, taking their best shots toward floating greens out in the Gulf of Mexico.

The group may have been more comfortable navigating the sea than swinging a 7-iron.

“There were times we swung four or five times and noticed the ball was still on the tee,” Hart laughed.

The tournament was rescheduled for January after hurricanes postponed the event in September. Many of the hosting establishments lost their docks to the storms in the process. Some lost everything.

Just four months later, the community was ready to come back together for a good cause. In all, the Conch Scramble raised more than $40,000.

As for the RS&H team, the group is already looking forward to the next Conch Scramble in September. There is even talk of the team dressing in costumes.

“It’s a great cause, and it’s great being on the water,” Hart said. “It’s a fun team building activity, and we’re really excited to be a part of it.”