Women’s club golf outing raises funds for scholarships

The Three Lakes Women’s Club drew a capacity crowd of golfers for its 8th annual scholarship fundraising event June 6 at the Big Stone Golf Club, raising an estimated $10,000 through the day’s events.

President Dorothy Sadowski termed it a “fantastic turnout” with 72 competitors creating two foursomes on all nine holes with a “shotgun start.”

She said the field filled a month before the event and a waiting list had to be established in the event of cancellations.

“Every penny goes to the young women graduating from Three Lakes High School for college scholarships,” said Sadowski. “This was our greatest year of giving in 2026 because we had several gifts from members who passed away. So we gave $18,000 to 12 recipients.”

She said the club’s first event produced a small turnout in 2019 but the scramble really took off in 2020 as Covid forced people into more outdoor activities.

Boosting the financial success of this year’s event was not only a full capacity turnout, but the raffling of 55 high-quality, donated baskets, a quilt and bidding on unique desserts baked by club members. Sadowski said bidding envelopes placed on every table in the Big Stone event building raised more than $1,300 as contestants tried to win a top spot for selecting one of the dozen special desserts for their table.

The Women’s Club is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, started in 1946 by Vada Williams, the wife of Fred “Cy” Williams, the famous baseball player for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. About 16 years after Cy retired from baseball and his local architectural and construction firm was thriving, at age 56, Vada decided it was time to improve the “social life” of women in Three Lakes. It was on April 12, 1946, that Vada and 20 others met for the purpose of founding a women’s club. According to a club history drafted by Susan Kordula, Vada was elected the first president and the group decided that besides social activities, their purpose would include supporting community projects and encouraging opportunities for local kids — especially girls.

Some of those projects included starting a library, gathering support and funds for a community building and forming a Girl Scout Troop in Three Lakes. Their fundraising efforts began with a Flower Show in 1947. Soon after it was fashion shows of one form or another for scholarships, and in 1983, the club’s popular Fall Luncheon and Fashion Show began. The last show was in 2018 and the golf outing has emerged as the club’s top scholarship fundraiser. Sadowski said 80 years later, the club’s vision to assist whenever possible, to meet the needs of the local Three Lakes community and its children, has not altered.