Signature Community Event to Fund the Self Reliance Club Project held at Grandezza Golf and Country Club on April 18, 2020

In anticipation for the tenth anniversary being celebrated in March 2020, founder and executive director, Ismael Hernandez is pleased to announce the Freedom and Virtue Institute (FVI) will hold their ninth annual charity golf classic on April 18, 2020, from noon to 7 pm at Grandezza Golf and Country Club, located at 11481 Grande Oaks Boulevard in Estero. The Daniel D. Wright Golf Classic is much-beloved and anticipated. Limited teams are available.

There are few sports the exemplify self-reliance more than the competitive sport of golf.  The desire and dedication an individual must develop are paramount to their success. The Freedom & Virtue Institute (FVI) believes in fostering attitudes and leading initiatives that build off the principle of creating self-reliance among underprivileged children and individuals enduring hardship that wish to better their situations and live a dignified, self-sustainable life. The scramble format is popular and golfers of all ages and skill levels participate.  Grandezza is an incredible location and the day promises to be memorable for everyone involved. 

Their signature model project is called Self Reliance Clubs (SRC). Through these clubs, students engage in entrepreneurial initiatives to earn money and satisfy their educational needs. In the process, they receive financial literacy instruction and develop the sound character and virtues needed to become responsible and successful adults. Students work, learn, earn, and meet their needs. The clubs operate at public and private schools and community centers at 11 Southwest Florida locations. There are over 1,500 students involved in six states and one foreign country! Proceeds from this effort will go to fund and expand FVI’s Self Reliance Club project, which includes elementary and middle schools in Lee and Collier County.  

Check-in and practice begin at noon April 18th and the event includes a Masters style boxed lunch, 18 holes of golf at one of the best and most challenging courses in southwest Florida, award and dinner ceremony with raffles, silent auction items, and a short program that will feature a local, notable guest speaker.

“The Self Reliance Club has been an invaluable partner as we educate students to develop their abilities to accept challenges, envision goals, and take action to realize those dreams. Our students have taken an empty, weed-filled field and have begun to transform it into a garden that currently grows tomatoes, broccoli, beans, and collards, with the guidance of our Freedom & Virtue Institute (FVI) associates” states John Scheller, an educator at Varsity Lakes Middle School. “I certainly appreciate all that the FVI has done to aid us in producing valuable future citizens, as well as crops!”

To become a sponsor, register for the golf tournament and learn more about the Freedom and Virtue Institute, visit www.fvigolf.com or contact Angeli Chin at angeli@fvinstitute.org.

Thank you to our title sponsor, The Gallagher Foundation. Our other generous sponsors include the Culvers, Price Foundation and the Thayer Family Foundation.

Organizational Contact: Ismael Hernandez, Freedom and Virtue Institute, Ismael@fvinstitute.org or 239-240-9393

Media Contact: Angeli Chin, Freedom and Virtue Institute, angeli@fvinstitute.org or 239-313-3995