
DATE: Friday, October 31, 1997              TAG: 9710300257
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  114 lines

COSTUME CLASSIC BENEFITS GOOD CAUSE THIRTY SEVEN TEAMS COMPETED TO SCARE UP MORE THAN $2,500 FOR SPORT SUPERKIDS.

ANYBODY WHO PLAYS golf will attest to the fact that the game can sometimes be pretty scary.

But never more so than last week at Stumpy Lake when 37 teams competed in the first Footer's Costume Golf Classic to benefit Sports Superkids.

Sponsored by Footer's Sports Pub and Old Dominion Roofing and Siding, the event saw about half the players dressed in Halloween garb - some with team themes and others in individual costumes.

``For a first-time thing, I think that was a pretty good turnout,'' said tournament director Bruce Barefoot. ``A lot of others brought costumes that were difficult to play golf in, and they put them on during the awards ceremony.

``I think that now that they understand what's going on, we'll have more dressing for next year.''

Dressed as prisoners, the team of David Elgin, Mike Hoppel, Gary Kennedy and Joey Caruthers typified the good-natured mood of the event.

``We're not cheating, we're not criminals,'' laughed Caruthers.

``We were obviously framed,'' added Kennedy.

Charlie Echols came dressed as a surgeon.

``I'm slicing all over the place,'' he said after his tee shot on No. 14.

Barefoot came up with the idea when costumers at his sports bar approached him about running another golf tournament.

``We've done all those other golf tournaments and I always dress up in a clown outfit,'' he said. ``So, since we were doing it close to Halloween and it was for kids, we'd have everybody dress up. I don't think there's really anything else like it around here.

While the tournament provided an entertaining good time for those who played, there was a serious side.

The money raised in the event - just over $2,500 - went to a good cause, Sport Superkids.

Barefoot plans to make the event an annual affair, with the Superkids as the beneficiary.

``We thought it was a worth program and he can really use the money,'' Barefoot said.

Sports Superkids is run by Bob Lane, a Virginia Beach resident who has worked part time with children in Virginia Beach Department of Parks and Recreation athletics programs for many years.

Several years ago, he started taking terminally ill children to Washington Redskins football games. Now, he is trying to make his program grow to the point where he takes kids and their families to football, basketball and baseball games all year long.

Still, Washington football games is his main drive - along with raising the money necessary to do so.

People like Barefoot have been a huge help.

``How can I thank him for this,'' said Lane, who was on hand to talk to players about his program. ``I just thought it was fantastic. Money is so hard to come by.

``When people like Bruce step up and help, it really means a lot. He's raising just as much in one day as I do nickel and diming.''

Lane has gotten similar help from several other groups and companies, but is still hitting the pavement each day to find a corporate sponsor who can pay the necessary money so that he can use more of his time with finding kids to take to games and making all the arrangements.

``I spend so much time knocking on doors,'' he said. ``I could be doing something better with the time. But you know I'll do what I have to to make sure the program keeps running.''

Lane wasn't the only winner in the affair.

The tournament featured three flights, with the usual awards for longest drives and closest to the pins. But in a Halloween tournament, there was also best in costume. Numerous raffle prizes were given to help raise more money for Lane.

On the golfing side, the Atomic Plumbing Plungers won the championship flight with a Florida best ball round of 56. Team members were Tim Foley, Doug Romero, John Flippin and Kenny Jones.

Elisha Higgins, David Lovett, Dennis Higgins and Tom Hefty made up Three Guys and a Girl and took the first flight with a round of 62.

B&W Services team members Terry Byerly, Frank Blazak, Robert Powers and Scott Gamble won the second flight with a 67.

Ed Young won closest to the pin on No. 3, while Byerly won at No. 12. Ed Jones won the closest to the pin, second shot, on No. 18.

Foley hit the longest drive, while Michael Neia won the most accurate drive.

Dressed in plastic bags and wearing garden hoses around their necks, the team from Princess Anne Pawn won the most crowd applause for best costume. You'll have to guess what they were calling themselves.

But the fact that they came up with the catchy idea was scary enough for this tournament. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT

Bob Lane organized Sports Superkids, a group that takes terminally

ill children to football, basketball and baseball games.

Norman Carolino, from left, Todd Meyers and Dan Allen watch as Pat

Carolino tees off during the Costume Golf Classic at Stumpy Lake,

sponsored by Footer's Sports Pub and Old Dominion Roofing and

Siding.

Director Bruce Barefoot plans to make the tournament an annual

affair, with the Superkids as the beneficiary.

Charlie Echols came as a surgeon. ``I'm slicing all over the

place,'' he said after his tee shot on No. 14.

Dressed as prisoners, from left, the team of David Elgin, Mike