By Mark Ambrogi

Michael Hoover wanted to do something fitting in memory of his father, Earl Hoover.

Despite being a non-smoker, Earl, a Muncie police officer for nearly 25 years, died at age 60 in 1997 after a battle with lung cancer.

“One thing I respected about him is when he went through that struggle, he always thought of other people first,” said Hoover, a 46-year-old Carmel resident. “He always said, ‘I’m not worried about me. I’ve lived my life. I’m worried about the younger people who haven’t lived their life yet.’”

It dawned on Hoover what he should do as he and his friends conducted their annual golf tournament for fun.

“We thought if we’re doing this, let’s wrap a charity around it, and let’s do something good,” Hoover said. “This is our way of trying to giving back.”

Thus, the Earl D. Hoover Memorial Golf Tournament for Charities was born. The 2016 tournament, set for 8:30 a.m. July 23 at River Glen County Club in Fishers, will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association’s Indiana chapter.

Starting in 2013, the friends partnered with local or national charities to bring awareness to their causes. The first three years, they raised a combined total of $30,000.

“It’s a small event that raised a significant amount of money,” Hoover said.

The charities receiving the benefits were National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Indiana chapter in 2013, the Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation, which helps families of fallen police officers, in 2014, and the Indiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 2015.

“I’m surrounded with a few good board members that have really helped spread the word,” Hoover said.

In addition to board chairman Hoover, board members include Carmel residents Roy Lederman, Ken Schafer, Tom Foster and Lance Fettig. Hoover’s sister, Loretta Ramsey of Fishers, also is on the board. Rich Burke, a Carmel resident, has been a past member and is expected to return for next year’s event.

To register for the tournament, visit alz.org/indiana.