Weber School Hosts Inaugural Golf Invitational

As a nod to its burgeoning athletic program, buttressed by recent enhancements to the Eitan Force Athletic Complex, The Weber School hosted its inaugural golf invitational at the Dunwoody Country Club on Monday, April 28.

With more than 100 golfers, including nine Weber alumni participating, and the support of dozens of sponsors, the first run of The Weber School Golf Invitational was a smashing success, raising significant funds to bolster the athletic department’s efforts to recruit and retain top-tier coaches, trainers, and other athletic professionals for the student body.

“The event itself was as spectacular as the weather, which was absolutely beautiful,” shared Weber Associate Head of School/Chief Advancement Officer Paul Ginburg, who spent the better part of the past year planning the invitational, when speaking to the AJT. “It was a nice way to have different parts of our community be part of a Weber event. Everyone had an amazing time.”

The invitational, which sold out individual playing spots and foursomes prior to event day, was played in honor of two-time President of the Weber Board of Trustees Michael Karlin, whose three children have all graduated from Weber.

“Many people both within the Weber community the Atlanta Jewish community and outside the Jewish community recognized Michael for his achievements here at the school and within the community,” added Ginburg. “They turned out in droves to support him and the school. It takes a tremendous honoree to draw attention, which we had in Michael.”

It was a nice way to have different parts of our community be part of a Weber event. Everyone had an amazing time.

In addition to the nine alumni who attended (Joseph Brickman, Daniel Ginburg, Josh Kalish, Benjamin Karlin, Jared Kaye, Benjamin Rosenberg, Justin Silver, Jaron Solomon, Josh Videlefsky), the invitational also prominently featured Gavin Cohen, who served as the chair of the event, and his wife, Thea, who was instrumental in organizing a full roster of volunteers and managing logistics and last-minute details in conjunction with Magnolia Golf, a third-party company that specializes in planning golf tournaments. Meanwhile, Dunwoody Country Club, which has blossomed into one of the most prestigious country clubs in the region, proved to be the perfect backdrop for the first-ever Weber Golf Invitational and would be a desired location for next year’s second annual event. Acknowledged Ginburg, “the people at Dunwoody Country Club couldn’t have been more hospitable opening their club to us and allowing us to play.”

The tournament, which kicked off with registration and a four-person scramble morning shotgun start and culminated in an awards banquet honoring the winning team that featured Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B’nai Torah, was driven largely by the 25 captains who spearheaded teams consisting of not just alums, but also parents and grandparents of current and future students, and other members of the Weber community. Not only did the team captains prove successful in recruiting enough players to round out the team rosters, but they also ensured that there was a deep roster of sponsors — everyone from The Zalik Foundation and Rosenberg Family Foundation to Balfour Beauty and the Royal Bank of Canada.

“Without the captains and the sponsors, we would not have been able to raise the amount of funds that we did for our athletics,” explained Ginburg, whose tournament offered sponsorship opportunities ranging from having one’s company logo on the leaderboard screen to being the presenting sponsor and having naming rights to the tournament.

Without the captains and the sponsors, we would not have been able to raise the amount of funds that we did for our athletics.

Though not a single current Weber student attended the invitational because school was, of course, back in session following the recent Passover break, the funds raised promise to go a long way towards enhancing their athletic experiences, as well as satisfying the aforementioned personnel needs. As the years go by, uniforms and equipment naturally get worn out and shiny new replacements are never cheap.

The sparkling Eitan Force Athletic Complex, which showcases a dynamic gymnasium with a full-size basketball and volleyball court, two full-size practice gym spaces, three locker rooms, classrooms, a robust wellness center, and bleachers that can seat more than 1,000 spectators at large community events for everything from regional competitions to graduation ceremonies, will need ongoing care and maintenance. And then there’s the cost of travel — as it has become increasingly more common for Weber teams to traverse across Georgia, particularly during the postseason, transportation expenses have piled up. Holding annual fundraising events such as this golf tournament—and looking for means to expand their reach — is an invaluable resource for allaying any potential budgetary concerns.

“As soon as we ended, it was a no-brainer that we were going to do this again next year and many years to come,” said Ginburg. “It will just become part of the Weber tradition.”