The First Tee Golf Event with DesertArc is a Winner

Palm Desert CA. The First Tee youth students and DesertArc adult clients played together in the 1st Annual "DesertArc-The First Tee Golf Tournament." Nine 6-person teams comprised of 2 First Tee students and 4 DesertArc young adult and adult clients played in the inaugural event. The event was held on Saturday May 16 at The Golf Center in Palm Desert, headquarters of The First Tee of the Coachella Valley.

The First Tee students, through the medium of golf, are coached to develop positive life skills. DesertArc clients are a people with developmental disabilities who are coached toward independence. Jan Hagan, The First Tee Executive Director, remarked "The beauty of the event for The First Tee participants is that competition was secondary to learning and experiencing the joy of golf’s social aspects. Our goal is to have our students learn to build character and life skills. I am proud of how the students really got into the event and how they supported DesertArc clients."

Richard Balocco, DesertArc Executive Director, noted that everyone had a great time. "It was a terrific event. All participants received medals. Our clients had fun and enjoyed meeting and playing golf with the kids from The First Tee. One of key objectives is to have our clients’ activities integrated into the community, and that is exactly what this event was all about."