COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDA. (ANS) — Dozens of local golfers will tee up for the fourth time on Saturday, April 27, at the Rafe Cochran Golf Classic to raise funds for Food For The Poor’s work in Jamaica.
The event is quickly becoming one of the most popular charitable golfing tournaments in Palm Beach County. It will be the fourth annual event and the first time at Banyan Cay Resort & Golf, 3200 North Congress Ave., West Palm Beach.
Participants in this year’s tournament will help Rafe, now 14; build two additional buildings through Food For The Poor for an existing high school in Jamaica, his third school project.
“I feel all the school facilities I have built have a major impact because education starts very young,” Rafe said. “However, I do think the appreciation of the older students will be huge because of their understanding of what these new buildings can provide and do for them.”
Food For The Poor says the Iona High School in Tower Isle, St. Mary, Jamaica, is in dire need of classroom space. The school has been a prominent fixture in the community since its founding in 1949. Students at the school come from various social backgrounds from more than 30 communities. Many of the classes are held outside due to lack of space.
“Rafe’s generosity will help us to expand the school and provide hundreds of its students and their teachers with a safe and comfortable learning environment, which we feel will motivate attendance and performance,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma.
“Rafe’s passion for positive change is truly amazing. Through his fundraising efforts, the schools he has helped to build, repair or expand in Jamaica are blessings for future generations. We pray God’s blessings on Rafe and his family for the compassion they have shown for the poor.”
Rafe’s parents, who are the teen’s most committed supporters, stress that balance is one of many keys to their son’s success.
“Honestly, it is not very hard to keep Rafe on track because his passion for school, golf and his philanthropic efforts are so strong,” said Rafe’s father, Jay Cochran. “We help by supporting his goals and we are always telling him he can achieve anything he sets his mind on. Rafe is a very positive and determined person. We do make sure Rafe maintains a happy balance by always having fun time with family and friends.”
Rafe began making a name in the golfing world at the age of 6. When he was 9, he became one of Food For The Poor’s youngest donors, raising money to build 10 homes in Haiti and two schools in Jamaica by the age of 13. The Palm Beach Day Academy eighth-grader is a serious golfer who competes in tournaments year-round, internationally and nationally, but he’s equally as passionate about making a positive impact on the world.
“I like that Food For The Poor works with me to achieve my goals to help people in need,” Rafe said. “Also, traveling with the organization to Haiti and Jamaica has been life-changing, because I was able to truly understand the suffering of others and the impact the organization and I are making. They are such a dedicated organization, which I admire, and that is why I have chosen to be a donor.”
For registration information, please contact Shanny Tozzi at 954-427-2222 ext. 6634, or at shannyt@FoodForThePoor.org . Registration and a light lunch start at 11:30 a.m. on the day of the event. Shotgun starts begin at 1 p.m.
The golf tournament will have a wide variety of special raffle items, including sports outings, local attractions and travel. Raffle tickets are one for $20, or eight for $100, and all proceeds will go toward the project.
To learn more about Rafe’s Food For The Poor projects visit: www.FoodForThePoor.org/rafe
