By Kevin Whipps
Everybody needs a little help now and then. Whether it’s gaining the confidence to push for that new raise, or picking yourself up from dire straits, Fresh Start has been helping women in Phoenix, Ariz. help themselves for over twenty years. And this year, as they have previously, one way they’re going to raise money for the foundation is through the Fresh Start Charity Golf Classic. So what role does Arizona Pain play in all of this? To find out, we have to dive a bit deeper.
There are three boards that make up the Fresh Start foundation. First is the Executive board. They make the rules, as it were, by setting policies in place for the foundation. Then there’s the Auxiliary Board, which is responsible for pushing forward in the community by promoting and managing outreach services and events. Both of those boards are made up entirely by women.
Then there’s the Men’s Board, and that’s where Arizona Pain comes into play. Joe Carlon, the CEO of Arizona Pain, Nevada Pain and Boost Medical, is on the Men’s Board, which is made up of only male members. “Our primary goal is to raise awareness and funds each year to support the development of both the facility and the services that the facility provides,” Carlon says.
What brought Carlon to the Foundation to begin with? After discovering Fresh Start through a friend, he learned that he wanted to help out in any way possible. The cause, after all, is important. “Their primary focus is delivering services to women at their resource center downtown,” Carlon explains, referring to the Jewell McFarland Lewis Fresh Start Women’s Resource Center at 1130 E. McDowell Road in Downtown Phoenix. “There are career and legal services, a library, job skills training, and job fashion that’s associated with [the Resource Center]. The idea is to try to support women who’ve found themselves in a very difficult situation for whatever reason — divorce, unemployment or simply looking for something new in their life. [They] provide women with the resources they need to transform their lives.”
The way that the Men’s Board provides funds is through an annual event. “Each year we host a golf tournament — the Fresh Start Charity Golf Classic. This year’s tournament is on November 7, 2014.”
To say that the event is a big deal in the Phoenix area would be understating it quite a bit. Presented by Valley Toyota Dealers, the Fresh Start Charity Golf Classic is one of the state’s largest non-celebrity charity golf tournaments. Play is setup as a four-person scramble. There are twelve hole-in-one opportunities, which also means a chance to win one of 10 vehicles courtesy of Valley Toyota Dealers. There are also two unique packages valued at $10,000. Plus there are other prizes, including a $25,000 putting contest, Million Dollar Shoot-Out and other events just to bring it up a notch. The goal is to raise at least $350,000 for Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
How can you contribute to the cause? Well, there are two ways. “If you are an individual or a business that wants to donate to Fresh Start, you can go to Freshstartwomen.org and select ‘Support Us,’” says Carlon. The other way is to contribute to the Fresh Start Charity Golf Classic, and you can find sponsorship and registration forms at Freshstartwomen.org/fresh-start-charity-golf-classic.
Helping women in need is an important cause, and one that Fresh Start Women’s Foundation is proud to support. Don’t think that you have to be a high roller to participate, either. Carlon says, “Contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated, and needed to continue to empower women in our community.”