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Publication: East Valley Tribune; Date: 11/11/2004
Sunshine Days light up East Valley
Golf tournament, other events benefit children's home
By BILL HUFFMAN FOR THE TRIBUNE CONTACT WRITER: (480) 540-1780 or bhuff56765@aol.com
Being good neighbors and caring about kids continues to be the theme of Sunshine Days, a two-day event sponsored by East Valley Charities and Longbow Golf Club and Business Park that benefits the Sunshine Acres Children?s Home.
The Nov. 19-20 Shootout for Sunshine golf tournament, dinner and auction raised $70,000 for Sunshine Acres last year. The children?s home and golf course/ business park sit adjacent to each other off Higley Road in east Mesa.
"This is actually the 14th year that East Valley Charities has been involved with Sunshine Acres," said the event?s chairman, Tom Sitzman, who heads up EVC. "We used to do a run/walk to raise money for the children?s home, but for the past seven years its evolved into strictly a golf tournament and dinner/auction." Unlike some charity events, the children actually get involved in Sunshine Days, Sitzman added.
"We've had kids play in the tournament, and they always come over to help out and take part in the dinner and auction," he said.
"It really is a wonderful event." For those unaware of Sunshine Acres Children's Home, it is a private facility that was founded in 1954 by James and Vera Dingman.
Today, their da
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