A charity golf tournament with plenty to cheer
The Marcus Trufant Believe in Me charity golf tournament returned to Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho, on August 31, 2026. The weather could not have been better. With the course looking its best and a good cause guiding the day, every swing had a little extra purpose. Some shots found the fairway. Others took the scenic route. Either way, the golfers and supporters who joined us made this a day worth celebrating.
At its heart, this charity golf tournament was about young people. Believe in Me brings community partners together to help youth find education, opportunity, and people who believe in their potential. Marcus Trufant has long understood what encouragement can mean at a turning point. His namesake event gives friends of the mission a chance to show up, enjoy a round, and help open doors beyond the course. That is a pretty good reason to dust off the clubs.
Beautiful weather, great company, one shared purpose
The August sun gave everyone a welcome assist. Better yet, the people gave the day its energy. A charity scramble has room for a booming drive, a careful putt, and the teammate who somehow always knows where the ball landed. It also has room for conversation. Between holes, players could connect with one another and the purpose behind the event. No matter the scorecard, taking part meant standing alongside young people working toward their next opportunity.
Circling Raven provided a memorable setting for the tournament. We are grateful to the golf club and the people who helped welcome our guests in Worley. We also thank the volunteers and event team whose work made the day run. They handled countless small details so golfers could focus on the round and on each other. If you have ever organized a foursome, imagine coordinating an entire tournament. That deserves its own trophy.
Charity golf tournament team winners
Now for the scorecard news. Congratulations to our first-place team: Garry Benner, Matt Hubert, Chad Derheim, and Doug Booth. They earned the top spot together, and their names now have a little extra mileage in the clubhouse conversation. The leaders deserve applause, while everyone who played helped make the event possible.
Second place went to Josh James, Nick Wallitner, Chad Mathison, and Cory Luttermoser. This foursome kept the competition lively right through the finish. Third place belonged to Jorge Vara, Matt Ittner, Dave Ittner, and Mitch Johnson. We celebrate all three teams and hope they enjoy the bragging rights. They have earned them. Of course, a charity golf tournament has another kind of winner too: the young people who gain support when a community chooses to invest in their future.
Closest to the pin and longest drive honors
Team standings were only part of the fun. Matt Ittner won men’s closest to the pin, adding an individual honor to his third-place team finish. Sandi Genova claimed women’s longest drive and women’s closest to the pin. Two contests, one name: that is an impressive day at the office, even when the office is a golf course. Chad Derheim took men’s longest drive, giving the first-place team another reason to smile.
Congratulations to each contest winner. A closest-to-the-pin shot calls for a steady touch, while a longest drive rewards the courage to let it fly. Golf rarely promises both on the same swing. The contests gave us more moments to celebrate, and they reminded us that a round can turn on one terrific shot. To everyone else, there is always the next tee box.
Our deepest thanks to Leisure Concepts
Our deepest gratitude goes to Mike and Sandi Genova and Leisure Concepts, the tournament’s title sponsor. Their ongoing support of Believe in Me is a powerful expression of confidence in our mission. A title sponsorship helps bring an event like this to life, but the Genovas’ commitment reaches beyond a single date on the calendar. Mike and Sandi, thank you for continuing to stand with young people and with the community that believes in them.
Sandi also gave the leaderboard a workout with her two contest wins. We hope she has room for the honors next to the golf shoes. We are grateful for the generosity, presence, and good spirit that Mike and Sandi bring to this tournament.
A round of applause for our 2026 sponsors
The 2026 Circling Raven sponsorship records give us many more people to thank. Northwest Steel Fabricators and Heritage Funeral & Cremation supported the event, and their teams were part of the field. All West Testing & Engineering, Idaho Central Credit Union, U.S. Bank, Windermere Valley/Liber, Access Unlimited, and O’Doherty’s Irish Grill also appear among the event’s participating supporters.
Generosity came in several forms. Dry Fly Distilling, Banner Bank, Flatstick Pub, and Mobile Billboards Northwest provided in-kind support recorded for the 2026 event. Bison Printing helped with a discount on golf club covers. Those contributions can make the day more welcoming, more visible, and more fun. The details matter: a useful item, an auction experience, or a little extra reach can help bring more people into the story.
To every sponsor, donor, volunteer, and golfer: thank you. Some offered financial support. Others brought goods, services, time, or a ready smile. Together, you helped create a tournament that felt generous from the first greeting to the final celebration.
Why the day matters after the last putt
A golf ball eventually stops rolling. The effect of showing up for a young person can travel much farther. Believe in Me works with partners to support young people through its five pillars of caring. That work includes educational opportunity, a sense of belonging, and practical help as they pursue their goals. A tournament creates a joyful place to gather around that purpose, and the relationships it strengthens can carry the mission forward.
We cannot measure a student’s future by a scorecard, and we would not want to try. What we can do is keep making room for possibility. A sponsor can introduce a new supporter. A golfer can learn about a program. A volunteer can make someone feel welcome. Each action is small on its own, yet together they make a community more ready to say, ‘We believe in you.’ That is the spirit we hope everyone took home from Circling Raven.
Circling Raven photo archive
June 2025 archive: These photos show an earlier Believe in Me tournament at Circling Raven. They do not depict the August 31, 2026 winners.
Thank you for playing for possibility
So here is one last round of applause for our champions, contest winners, title sponsor Leisure Concepts, the 2026 sponsors, and everyone who came to Worley on August 31. The weather cooperated, the competition delivered, and the purpose stayed in view. We hope you left with a favorite shot to retell, a new connection, and a reminder that a good day of golf can help create opportunities beyond the fairway.
Want to keep the momentum going? Explore Believe in Me’s five pillars of caring and learn how partners help young people thrive. You can also revisit the tournament page and share this recap with a friend who would enjoy the names on the leaderboard. Thank you for believing in young people and for making this charity golf tournament one to remember. We will see you at the next tee time.
