Patricia's Blog

May 12, 2008

What an amazing week! Many wonderful memories where made while working with the most can-do group of people I have had the privilege of getting to know. Starting with the Monday Pro-Am to the course clean up today, everyone played their part. From all appearances, everyone had a blast this week. The 2008 Fort Smith Classic was fun! There have been many highlights for me... I'll share just a few.

During the tournament festivities, I was able to spend a little time with family and many friends, which was nice... especially one friend in particular.

Watchin' Monica (head cheerleader) lead all the volunteers in callin them HOGS while making Vaughn participate was hilarious!!! It is great to be living in Arkansas.

Every day from the time I started working for the Classic, I have enjoyed the wise counsel of Kincy. Solving the world's problems with Gene has been enriching.

Of course one of the most memorable moment was being on number 18 green when 22-year -old Colt Knost held up the beautiful trophy. It made all the hard work of the past 6 months worth it. Seeing his face, I knew I had played a part of making another champion dream come true!

The Tournament trailer is empty now. I guess it is time to turn off the country music, pack-up my boom box and lap top and head back to home base at the Times Record. It is sort of sad but now I will have time for a personal life and time to dream big ideas for the 2009 Fort Smith Classic. Get ready!!!!!

May 11, 2008

I know that Kevin would never post this on the web himself. He is just that kind of person who would be too humble sharing just how important he was to the success of the 2008 Fort Smith Classic. It is 6:50 pm on the final day of the tournament while all the volunteers are celebrating the end of the hard work that they all put in to making this year’s tournament great, Kevin is still hard at work as a volunteer. That demonstrates why Kevin Coney was so deserving of this award.


Nationwide Tour – Volunteer All-Star
(the script prepared for the award presentation)

The 2008 Nationwide Tour Volunteer All-Star for the Fort Smith Classic is an outstanding individual! However, his 11 year dedication to the tournament reached a new height this year.

This All-Star Volunteer starting in January made a renewed commitment to the Fort Smith Classic which ultimately resulted in the gift of over 500 volunteer hours. He is a willingly worker who will do whatever it takes to advance the Fort Smith Classic.

No doubt he is very talented but it was his can do positive attitude that energized many other volunteers and sponsors to jump on board to bring a fresh look to the course and in the media.

He championed chairing a highly productive committee that expanded the marketing footprint and the Fort Smith Classic brand into markets that had small to no impressions in previous years. This has equated to an impressive value to the tournament of over $500,000.

On behalf of Nationwide & the Fort Smith Classic, we like to recognize our champion 2008 Nationwide Tour Volunteer All – Star - Kevin Coney.

Viewer Comment:

While it is always nice to be recognized, there are so many people who could and should receive this award this year. I am truly humbled. Special thanks go to Stephens Inc., Stephens Media and Gene Kincy for allowing me the opporunity to serve the tournament and its charities. Thanks also to Nationwide Insurance, the Nationwide Tour, PGA TOUR, Brent Haney and all of the amazing marketing committee members. A very special thanks to Patricia for challenging me both personally and professionally to strive for excellence and 'best practice.'

Kevin Coney

May 7, 2008

The sun is setting on the first round of professional tournament play. It is official... I am a Nationwide Tour Tournament Director. With a whole lot of help from a whole lot of people, today, I am starting to feel like my rookie year will be a HUGE success. Even with the rain during the Wednesday Pro-Ams, the feedback indicates that this year's pro-ams are the most organized ever. The media center has been packed out! The coverage has been statewide and beyond. Everyone is smiling while playing their part as we head into the next three days of golf competition and night time entertainment.

Even though I am tired (been up since 3:45 am after going to bed at 10:45 pm), I just had to blog a little about the great tournament experience so many people are having, especially me. I am both blessed and grateful. I look forward to greeting the gallery and sharing with them the 2008 Fort Smith Classic.

May 5, 2008

Talkin' about busy... weeeee... the tournament office is beyond Grand Central Station!!!! We worked all week-end taking care of last minute details and handing out sponsor and volunteer packages. It is all paying off. Today has been PERFECT! I am so proud of all the hard work and hours on top of hours that soooo many people have contributed to making the Fort Smith Classic tournament the most amazing week of fun of 2008! The Pros are all so nice and what great clothes they wear. Very impressive... Oh My Goodness... the Nationwide Tour Truck (Semi) just pulled up - It is official... The Tour is in Town!!! Yippie - gotta go and greet the guys who have traveled all day from Georgia.

May 1, 2008

Most all the time I am very up beat and positive. You know what they say about attitudes... they are contagious. Vaughn Moise, Nationwide Tour Tournament Official just can't get over how up beat everyone is. The energy is high, electrifying and very contagious.

Come catch the buzz! But, be prepared for a wildly busy envirnoment. Yesterday, I ate lunch at 5:41. This morning I got up at 4:00 am. Today, the office is busier than ever with people constantly coming in and out. Tomorrow, the office will be open all day.... We are on the fast count down towards Tee Time. 2 days, 9 hours and 28 minutes. More tomorrow..........

April 28, 2008

It was a beautiful day in my neighborhood today. The sky was sunny and so were all the attitudes around the Tournament Headquarters. Right now the sun is setting across the golf course, volunteers are leaving our first of two meet and greets with smiles on their faces and country music is playing on the radio. It just doesn't get much better than this. Life is worth living in Fort Smith, Arkansas!

I have more work to do so enough of this sentimental stuff. I have to stay focused. It is only 6 days - 4 hours & 16 minutes till the 2008 Fort Smith Classic official is underway. YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!

April 27, 2008

Oh My Goodness - if you were at Home Depot yesterday and saw the three Beverly Hillbillies in the J. Pauley pick-up truck pulling out of the parking lot, well that was Kevin and I with our newest volunteer Christi from Nationwide Insurance. She came to the tournament trailer to volunteer yesterday and got in on the biggest shopping adventure. Home Depot gave us a generous donation which made us very happy but we were totally crackin up while attempting to get a ton of stuff loaded up in a regular sized truck bed. It was a hoot!!! Kevin trapped me in the bed of the truck with 20 (30 gallon) trash cans then he wanted me to jump out. Oh no not me - I wasn't going to jump out of the back of a truck in my yoga pants and flip flops ... well that wasn't going to happen. Who has time with only 8 days till tournament week to go to the ER with a broken leg?

Don't miss the next FSC adventure or the upcoming cartoon experience - come and volunteer this week at the Fort Smith Classic.....no drama allowed.

April 23, 2008

Oh what a long day! It started at 6:00 am at Clear Channel for the start of the Fort Smith Classic's first ever 12 hour radio-thing... Take 2. It was a huge success and so much fun! Thank you to all the charities and volunteers who smiled and dialed all the past sponsors who haven't given so far this year. At our celebration toast tonight in the tournament trailer was great.

We are still here but not still celebrating. Officer Forrest just left headed to the volunteer trailer. It would seem that someone has vandalized their port-a-potties. Oh my goodness. I told you that it is never boring here. You are missing all the fun if you don't show up soon... of course, I will need you to help us by volunteering a little but hopefully by the time you come to Tournament Central... all will be (up)right again in our pretty little world. I so have to go home... I am exhausted!

April 22, 2008

Today has been just GREAT! The day started extra early. I pulled into Hardscrabble Country Club at 7:00 am. Gene, Lacey, Daelene and I loaded two six passenger shuttles with sponsor bags and headed to the clubhouse. The good folks from Raymond James met us at the front door and helped us load the boxes into the club’s living room. Almost immediately our sponsors started arriving. It is amazing to me how people around here come early to meetings and events. The air was full of anticipation as sponsors explored their bag of goodies given out by Pam, Carolyn, and Nancy. Joe & Randy handed out to the pro-am participates a post card that informed them of their tee time and showcased the planned Pro-Am Callaway Shopping Spree. We showed the Fort Smith Classic’s dvd – again. Hopefully, the community isn’t too tired of seeing it. I am just so proud of it and it is full of good information. Thanks to 5 Star Productions for making the dvd and for Keith and crew who always set-up the audio-visual equipment for our events. Of course, Kevin was on hand to insure the proper showing of the dvd. I could go on and on about each and every person who attended.

I kind of got emotional as I thanked them for trusting me, a complete stranger, with their sponsorship dollars. They can trust that I... along with the Fort Smith Classic leadership... will be good stewards of their contribution.

Gotta run. Much more to do to get ready for Radio-Thing take 2. We will be on air from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on all four Clear Channel stations and remotely at Central Mall from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Drop by and show your support. You just might win a prize.

April 21, 2008

Daelene, Lacey and I are still at the office and it is 7:30 pm. They are TROOPERS!!!! Tomorrow morning is the Sponsor Breakfast and we are determined to be as organized as possible. We will be greeting our breakfast guests with a bag full of their Tournament amnesties. The attendees will be the people and corporations who are funding the purse, tournament operations and the gift to the five charity partners – so we want each of the bags to be filled correctly.

This morning started with a meeting with the Tournament Chairmen. There are only 80 different chairmanships. It takes a ton of talent to pull together what is destined to be THE champion Fort Smith Classic leadership team. I am lucky to have inherited from most of them a deep level of institutional knowledge due to their multiple years of volunteering for the Classic. Now that we are headed into crunch time, I remind myself often that there is an amazing group of people (long-time & new volunteers & my staff) who have my back. Many of them are so much more to me than volunteers… many of them I feel are fast becoming my friends. Knowing that inspires me to move forward with confidence that in 13 days together we will launch the most amazing week of golf competition and make a whole bunch of memories that we will share for a life-time.

April 20, 2008

Finally, the weather is beautiful in Arkansas. With only 14 days till Tournament Week I was getting a little nervous. Hardscrabble Country Club is a gorgeous place to welcome spring. And, that is a good thing since I am here daylight till dark almost every day. It is crunch time. There are so many last minute details to stay on top of and if you don’t champion a healthy to-do list everyday at this point then tournament week could be crazy chaos which isn’t my style. Excitement is the energy I am striving for not constant crisis management. So if you have a little time and want to lend a helping hand... come on over to the Tournament trailer anytime between daily and dark – 7 days a week.

April 17, 2008

The day started with a tasty treat. Daelene made the best coffee cake ever! Then we all quickly went to work. I had two other nice surprises today. Bert Wright delivered flower pots which have enhanced the look in front of the Tournament Trailer. But the highlight of the day was the joy of having my parents give their time as diligent volunteers. I so appreciate their active support! My focus for today has been: staying on top of the pro-am entries which are coming in nicely, starting the selection process for Honorary Observers (which is a new program this year), talking to PGA officials frequently, following up with potential sponsors, and meeting with the Entertainment committee – get ready to quench your thirst during the day at the 19th Hole and party all night at Par-Tee Central – Kris, Vicki, & Sherry are the champions of the tournament week’s off-course fun. It was another busy day in the Tournament Office but we did take time to have a KFC picnic. Should have been here.

April 16, 2008

I can’t believe that it has been six days since my last blog entry. I must do a better job at sharing all the cool stuff that is happening as we speed towards tournament week. Only 18 days away. If you haven’t signed up to participate in some capacity, YOU are so missing out! Every day acres of excitement builds towards the production of a great tournament week of activities. For example: Yesterday, in the tournament office, we held a disaster response planning meeting. The Classic is fortunate to have attracted the talent of Tonya Roberts, an expert on emergency management. She already has made me feel much more prepared for an emergency. This morning I arrived at the tournament trailer just before 8:00 and EZGO had delivered 12 shuttle carts. Now you might not find that very exciting but as the tournament director, I just squealed with joy. Today, I finally saw a couple of the pretty big billboards promoting the tournament and the Ricky Skaggs concert. This afternoon (just like everyday), volunteers were in and out constantly. The Tournament Office in the back lot of Hardscrabble Country Club is a busy, busy fun place. Energy is in the air. Come and get plugged in on the activity!!!

April 10, 2008

Oh what a night we had last night in Fort Smith, Arkansas! The wind blew and the hail fell. Damage is all over town but thank God no one lost their life. Disasters sure make you appreciate the sunny days in your life. My daughter, Amanda, will tell you that I have told her all her life, “It is always the darkest before the dawn. So when things get bad, start gettin’ excited because a big ole blessin’ is just around the corner!” Today was our planned Radio-Thing which would have promoted the tournament and raised money for our charity partners. At almost mid-night last night, Steve Jackson and I decided to postpone the event. I was disappointed initially. So much planning had gone into organizing what promised to be a great radio event. However, I have to believe in the words I am always preachin’. As a result of faith, here is how the day has ended. We are looking to reschedule probably on Thursday, April 17th which is United Way’s National Day of Caring….looks like God’s timing might just work out better than our original plan. Now I am getting really fired up about Radio-Thing / Take 2. It is sure to be a sunny success!!!!!

April 8, 2008

26 days till tournament week and the activity at the tournament office is more like grand central station than you can imagine! People are in and out of the office, the phones are ringing off the hook and Daelene, Lacey and I are sending & receiving e-mails like crazy. In the last two days, here is a sampling of just a few of the areas we have championed coordinating details in: landscaping, operations, transportation, volunteers, first aid, sponsor breakfast, food and beverage, marketing, signage, the concert and the Radio-Thing. It is fun especially when a sponsor that we have been soliciting FINALLY says YES.

If you want to add to the excitement, listen to the Radio-Thing this Thursday on any of these fine stations KMAG 99.1 FM, KZBB 97.9 FM, KKBD 95.9 FM and KWHN 1650 AM then call in with a donation or go by our remote at Central Mall. Join the fun!

April 5, 2008

Tournament week 2008 is ONLY 30 days away from TODAY!!!! I am sitting in our newly relocated tournament office in the back parking lot of beautiful Hardscrabble Country Club. Just outside the front door is a driving range full of golfers. The sun is out (finally) and great golfing weather is in store this weekend. Today is Saturday and I could not wait to get here and start drafting spreadsheets.

I just love this job! I get to work with great volunteers, meet generous sponsors and have the opportunity to use my creative God given brain. Country music provides an inspirational backdrop for the development of a long list of staff-to-dos for the coming week. Now that the big move has been accomplished... thanks to the can-do operation team... it is time to get real serious about tying up the loose-ends related to signage, apparel, printing, promotions, sponsors, pro-am teams, and food & beverage needs.

Plus, all four of the Clear Channel radio-stations thanks to Steve Jackson will be hosting the 1st Fort Smith Classic “radio-thing” this Thursday, April 10. I only have 24 interviews to get scheduled which is more trickery than you would think. Tune in and tell your friends to listen, too.

Better yet, call into the tournament office (479) 782-3410 and make a donation. Any level of contribution would be appreciated and sure would go along way to bringing excitement to a group of charities that have been working in the trenches with us in producing a successful tournament week which will ultimately bring financial resources to their missions.

Get involved with the Classic, come by the office and find out a way you can fit in on the fun. Thanks to Coca-Cola, the office is stocked with cold beverages. So if you come by, we will share with you a Coke and a smile!

April 2, 2008

Ok - I know I haven't been writing on my blog lately because I have been running from place to place putting together many, many details which are going to make this year's tournament week something to remember. Without my Blackberry, I would not be able to be in the comunication loop at all. My computer has hardly been on. So, keep checking back because when I so slow down for a second I will have a lot to tell you... and believe you me you will want in on some of this scoop!



Here's Daelene, Bill Calfee (President, Nationwide Tour) Mary Turnes (Director of Tournament Business Affairs, Nationwide Tour) and I in Lafayette last week.