Brookfield, Wis. – An energetic sell-out crowd gathered on a sunny fall afternoon in October in celebration of the 21st annual Funeral Service Foundation Golf Classic, held in conjunction with the NFDA International Convention & Expo in Nashville. More than 50 firms and companies contributed to the annual event, raising a record $151,000 “fore” the Foundation’s mission of investing in people and programs to strengthen funeral service and lift up grieving communities.

The Dodge Company and Consolidated Funeral Services (CFS) once again served as the Classic’s Major Co-Benefactors. CFS has “chipped in” $12,500 in support each year since 2017, and Dodge joined as a fellow sponsor in 2018.

For the first time in four years, players gathered on the course for the day’s play. (The event was snowed out in 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah; took place at Topgolf in 2019 in Chicago; and was held virtually in 2020.) Foundation Trustee John Heald, together with Dodge Chief Operating Officer Tim Collison, CFS General Manager Jay Kundy and CFS Sales Manager Daniel Matthews, welcomed guests to The President’s Reserve at the Hermitage Golf Course just outside Nashville.

 

CFS and Dodge “Dodge continues to support the Funeral Service Foundation, because we know the Foundation will meet the needs of our profession,” said Collison to the 150-person crowd of players and spectators. “We work hard every day to take care of families and communities. And the Foundation works hard to ensure we have the resources and education we need to build strong relationships and strong careers.”

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the five years we’ve supported the Golf Classic,” added Matthews. “And our support will help ensure that this important work continues.”

Service Corporation International (SCI) participated as $10,000 Presenting Sponsor for the sixth straight year. “SCI is proud to continue to support the Foundation’s important mission,” noted SCI Senior Vice President and CFO and Foundation Trustee, Eric Tanzberger. “We were honored to gather on the course with our funeral service colleagues for a common cause: to strengthen funeral service and lift up grieving communities.”

More than 50 organizations joined CFS, Dodge and SCI in support of the annual event:

$5,000 Sponsors & Underwriters
Anthem Partners; Batesville; Guerra & Gutierrez Mortuaries; Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions; Park Lawn Corporation; and Regions Funeral and Cemetery Trust.

$3,000 Sponsors & Underwriters
@Need Marketing by Precoa; Baue Charitable Fund & The Baue Family; Bass-Mollett; Busch Funeral & Crematory Services; C&J Financial; Everdays; Express Funeral Funding; Global Atlantic Financial Group; Homesteaders Life Company; Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home and Cemeteries; Live Oak Bank; Precoa; Ring Ring Marketing; Travel Plan by Inman, Eagle’s Wings Air & Inman Shipping Worldwide; Tukios; Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.

$2,500 Sponsors & Underwriters
Argent Trust; Arrington Funeral Directors; Cremation Recycling; The Foresight Companies; Foundation Partners Group; National Guardian Life; NFDA; Nomis Publications, Inc.; Robinson Funeral Home; and Security National Life Insurance Company.

$1,000 Sponsors & Underwriters
Answering Service for Directors; Carmon Community Funeral Homes; Howe-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services; Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, Inc.; MacKinnon & Bowes, Ltd.; Madelyn Co.; Speaks Chapels; and Wappner Funeral Directors & Crematory.

2021 Winning Golf Team Dozens of additional supporters were recognized on signage around the course, which is well-known for the Scottish black-faced sheep that roam the back nine. Participants enjoyed a scramble format and on-course contests. Top honors went to Rob Meredith, David Holm, and Cameron Black. Taron Smith, Joe Tew, Casey Stephens, and Harold Giddens finished in second place. .

The day’s play was captured by Nashville-based photographer, Nathan Morgan. The event’s photo gallery can be viewed online, and in this brief highlight video.