The Richmond School District organized its annual year-end golf tournament to raise funds for students facing food insecurity.
On June 28, the district's fourth annual Feed-U-Cate Open golf tournament raised more than $45,000 for the Feed-U-Cate program.
The program aims to collaborate with the community to support breakfast, lunch and snack programs for elementary and secondary students in need.
Organizer and school trustee Ken Hamaguchi said they received "amazing" responses from the first day of announcing this year's golf tournament.
"We had no shortage of golfers and the response from the business community was overwhelming," said Hamaguchi.
He added school trustees, staff and the accounting department volunteered their time for this worthy cause.
Since the fundraising tournament began in 2019, more than $115,000 has been raised and donated to the Feed-U-Cate program.
Glenn Kishi, a retired school district administrator, initiated the Feed-U-Cate program and trust fund in late 2012 to address food insecurity at the school level.
"When I was about to retire in 2013, I wanted to do something to continue to support the schools in Richmond," said Kishi.
It was then that he noticed schools in Richmond were looking for financial assistance for their breakfast programs.
He then formed a committee of students, teachers, and a high school administrator to tackle this challenge.
"One of the most satisfying elements of the program is that all the funds donated (to the program) will go towards purchasing food for the students," Kishi added.
"Since poverty continues to be here in Richmond, the goal is to make this program sustainable for many years to come."
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