The Benedictine Living Community-Crookston (Villa St. Vincent) Foundation will host its annual Glow Golf Scramble on Saturday, September 9, at Minakwa Golf Course in Crookston.
This event will consist of 18 holes of golf. The first nine holes are played in the daylight with a break for dinner and drawings. The last nine holes will be played darkly with glow balls. All golfers are encouraged to decorate their carts and wear glow attire and accessories. Prizes will be awarded to the best-decorated carts and best-dressed golfers. The tournament will start at 4:00 p.m. After golfers finish their first round (9 holes), everyone will come together for dinner before heading out for the last nine holes.
“Our staff will go out and light up the course; we encourage people to bring glow items,” said Foundation Development Director Cassie Rudie. “One group last year brought a light-up bow tie and suspenders that lit up, lights on their tennis shoes. Gofers can light up their carts too with glow items.”
All proceeds will be used towards upgrading the Wander Guard System. The Wander Guard System is a bracelet monitoring device given to high-risk residents and tenants that alerts staff when that person has gone out an exit door. The current system is over 20 years old, and many replacement parts are no longer available. “We have this system throughout our facility, and it’s 20 years old,” said Rudie. “What it does: if we are concerned about a resident who may wander outside, we can put this bracelet on, and we get alerted when they leave the building.”
This system allows residents to stay in their apartments at the Summit and in the nursing home area that isn’t secured, and it ensures the staff that the tenants are safe. The Benedictine Living Community is currently searching for quotes on purchasing the new system; the system is estimated at approximately $150,000.
Rudie mentioned how this tournament’s funding has helped them purchase a call-light system and how it correlates to the wandering system. “A few years ago, we used funds for a new call-light system,” said Rudie. “One of glow golf tournaments money went towards that so that this new wander system could tie into that. It will be wonderful for our residents, tenants, and staff.”
The Benedictine Foundation is looking for a system that can withstand interference and interact with the new call light system. A new Wander Guard System will help ensure families that their loved ones can stay safe and more independent in their current home, prolonging the need to be transferred to the Benedictine memory care unit.
For more information, contact Cassie Rudie at 218-281-9713 or by email at cassie.rudie@benedictineliving.org.
