Eighth Annual Rafe Cochran Golf Classic: Foursomes Are Teaming Up To Help a School in Jamaica
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 16, 2024) – Excitement is building for the Eighth Annual Rafe Cochran Golf Classic, scheduled for Monday, April 29, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.
As of now, 16 foursomes are already registered for the classic, which begins with lunch at 11:30 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start and a closing reception at the end of play when winners will be announced.
Participants will help 19-year-old Cochran raise money to fund much-needed upgrades at the Brompton Primary School in Brompton, Jamaica. This will be the seventh school in Jamaica that he has helped expand through Food For The Poor (FFTP).
“We are very excited to have so many golfers ready to join us this year, and as in previous years, we know more players will register as we get closer to the event,” Cochran said. “This tournament touches so many lives in a positive way – from the students who will enjoy the benefit of having their school expanded and enhanced, to the golfers who gain the satisfaction of supporting a worthy cause playing a game that they enjoy.”
Part of Jamaica’s Saint Elizabeth Parish, Brompton is home to more than 3,700 people. Most residents are farmers, while others are skilled tradesmen or public sector workers. More than one-third of the students at Brompton Primary School live in poverty and receive assistance through the Program of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH). A conditional cash transfer program funded by the Jamaican government and the World Bank, PATH provides cash grants to society’s neediest and most vulnerable people.
In its current condition, Brompton Primary School does not have space to accommodate its 499 students and is susceptible to flooding in heavy rain. Built primarily of wood, the school is crumbling in disrepair, and substantial structural rot brought on by water intrusion is creating a safety hazard for students and staff.
Proceeds from the classic will fund the construction of four additional classrooms, an administrative unit and guidance counselor’s office, and a staff restroom.
“We are so grateful to Rafe for his support of schools and education in Jamaica,” FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine said. “All of us marvel at his vision and dedication, not to mention the fact that he’s maintained this level of support throughout his formative years. He’s a talented young man who uses his gift to help others, and that truly is extraordinary.”
Cochran began making a name in the golfing world at the age of 6. When he was 9, he became one of FFTP’s youngest donors, raising money to build nine homes in Haiti.
Since hosting the first Rafe Cochran Golf Classic in 2016, it’s been an annual event, pausing only in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. By age 14, Cochran had raised money to build 10 homes in Haiti and later to build or expand five schools in Jamaica in order to educate generations of children.
The deadline to register for the Rafe Cochran Golf Classic is Friday, April 26, at noon.
In addition to the excitement of the game, the tournament will include various raffle items, with proceeds going toward the project. To RSVP, donate raffle items, learn about sponsorship opportunities, and for more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org/rafe, email [email protected], or call 888-404-4248.
Premier Event Sponsors: The Coors Foundation and Susan Phipps Cochran; Event Sponsors: Bessemer Trust and Ron and Dolores Romeo; Food & Beverage Sponsors: Braman Porsche West Palm Beach and American Dream Corp.; Hole & Tee Sponsors: American Dream Corp., Mint Eco Car Wash, Emar Associates Insurance, Ronald and Leslie Schram, The Giangrande Foundation, Vernon Westfall, Barefoot Money, Inc., Orbits, and GT Motor Cars; Caddy Sponsor: Mr. Spencer Partrich; and Gift Bag Sponsors: Mr. & Mrs. Dwight C. Schar and Emar Associates Insurance.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org.
Ernestine Williams
Communications
305-321-7342
[email protected]