March Madness might be dominating the sports world right now, but for disc golfers in Marion, March is all about the Ice Bowl.
With 73 disc golfers participating in the second annual Ice Bowl on March 14, the Marion Disc Golf Club was able to raise $10,000 worth of donations including cash, food and toys to the Marion Salvation Army. Craig Blanton, events coordinator with MDGC, said in total, they donated $1,000 worth of toys; 1,560 pounds of non-perishable food valued at $5,000; and a check worth $4,000.
“I would’ve never thought, two years ago when I signed up for this, that I would be able to hand over a check for $4,000 to a local charity,” Blanton said. “That just seemed insane to me.”
Blanton said he was surprised when he saw the total amount of $10,000 after making the donation. Prior to the event, he said many of the Disc Golf Club’s members were focusing on collecting food items; not toys or money. Once The Salvation Army told Blanton they were in need of outdoor activity toys due to the pandemic, their efforts quickly pivoted.
This led to Blanton obtaining more sponsors for the event and he was even able to use his mother’s job at Rural King to have them donate a large tote of various sports-related items like basketballs, footballs and volleyballs. Blanton said they also used some of the club’s own money to purchase additional items which helped push this value to $1,000.
Now, Blanton said he keeps the receipt from the Salvation Army framed on his desk as a way to remember how powerful this club can be when they come together for a common good.
In a Facebook post, The Salvation Army in Marion said they were excited for all the donations the disc golf club had gave them.
“We have some great programs planned for this summer and thanks to their support we will be able to fund them,” the post stated.
Blanton said a large part of the success boiled down to the numerous sponsors of the event. Including the aforementioned Rural King, Blanton was able to get 26 sponsors for the event which included Sakamura USA, also where Blanton works during the day, who donated $750 to the event.
There were other local sponsors such as Shirk’s Homemade Candies, the G&R Waldo, Andrew’s Pastries and A Taste of Memphis. While some donations were gift cards for a free sandwich or shake from Steak n’ Shake or McDonalds, others gave money to help support the day.
For Blanton, and many others involved in the sport, disc golf is a place for community. And that community isn’t limited to just disc golf, he said, rather it’s about finding ways to support the community at large. He said with this large donation, it’s a chance to show the sport is legitimate and that it’s growing in popularity.
It’s this sense of community that Blanton thinks is helping grow the sport. Unlike football or other physical sports, Blanton said this doesn’t require you to be in the gym every day. This is big for people interested in getting started, he said, as there aren’t physical requirements like speed and strength to participate.
Another large factor for the growth of the sport is its financial accessibility. While golf clubs can be as expensive as $800 for one single club, a frisbee for disc golf is more in the ballpark of $15 to $20. And to help get the younger generation involved, Blanton said he keeps extra frisbees in his car to hand out to kids he sees playing at the park.
Blanton also thinks the pandemic has helped make disc golf more popular. He said last year the club grew at a rate faster than ever before and many of these new members were first-year disc golfers looking to get out of the house and enjoy nature. And the numbers don’t lie for MDGC, either. Last year’s Ice Bowl hosted 37 players and raised $1,200 in cash and 332 pounds of food; just one week before COVID-19 shut the country down.
“The pandemic has been the best-worst thing for disc golf; it absolutely exploded the sport,” Blanton said. “The pandemic sucked and it definitely still sucks, but it helped disc golf in a new way.”
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