Ben Almack wanted a fitting way to honor his late friend Evan Hansen’s memory.
“After his passing, those closest to Evan wanted to honor his legacy of compassion and support while celebrating a young man who had a such profound impact on everyone he met,” said Almack, who grew up in Westfield and played football with Hansen at Guerin Catholic High School. “A small group of friends and family came together and developed the idea for a fund in Evan’s name and a golf outing to kick off the fundraising efforts.”
Hansen, a Carmel resident who graduated from Guerin Catholic in 2015, committed suicide Sept. 10, 2018, two days after the four-year starting linebacker played in the second game of his senior season at Wabash College.
The first Evan Hansen Charitable Fund Golf Outing is set to begin at 9 a.m. Aug. 3 at Pebble Brook Golf Club in Noblesville. The event begins with a 7 a.m. mass at the club for those who wish to attend. Registration is at 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. There will be lunch following the golf outing.
Chuck and Mary Hansen, Evan’s parents, created the nonprofit to carry out philanthropic activities. A donation from a wine tasting fundraiser at Prime 47 funded a summer intern at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church’s Merciful Help Center, where Evan worked in the summer of 2018.
“It’s 10 to 15 of his friends and coaches who are doing all the organizing,” Chuck said.
Chuck said Almack and Kyle Schultz, another former Guerin teammate from Carmel, came to the
Hansens with the idea.
“Kyle and Ben want to fund a scholarship in the medical field to get into nursing,” Chuck said. “Especially if they are interested in working in underserved communities because Evan could speak Spanish and wanted to get into the nursing field.”
Chuck said they also want to use the fund for mental health awareness.
There are several different sponsor options. The cost for a foursome is $500 and $125 for a single golfer. There is room for 36 foursomes.
There is a student discount of $32 for young people who wanted to take part but not be able to afford the full price. Chuck said they are just asking the students volunteer one day of your time to any worthy cause and make a post afterwards to show how they contributed on Evan Hansen Tribute page.
“It’s about getting people to think how they can make a different in the community,” Chuck said. “There are donors who will make up the difference for the students paying the lower amount.
Chuck said the purpose of the outing also is to “get all of Evan’s friends together to have a good time and have good memories of Evan.”
Registration deadline for the outing is July 19. For more, visit erhgolf.org.
