Participants can try their luck navigating doglegs while supporting training for our furry friends.

The sixth annual United Disabilities Services Foundation (UDSF) golf tournament will be held Thursday, Sept. 11, from noon to 7 p.m. at Crossgates Golf Club, 1 Crossland Pass, Millersville.

Golfers can play in groups of up to four and enjoy activities like a hole-in-one contest to win a cash prize, as well as longest-drive and putting contests.

The fee includes 18 holes of golf, lunch, beer on the course and in the pavilion, use of the driving range and putting green, golf balls and tees, awards and prizes, and a New York strip steak dinner.

Check-in and lunch will begin at noon. A shotgun start with a scramble format will start at 1 p.m. Dinner and an awards ceremony will get underway at 6 p.m.

The event will be held rain or shine unless Crossgates representatives determine there is a danger to guests due to severe storms. Collared shirts and soft spike soles are required.

Go to https://udservices.org/golf-registration/ to register. Golfers should register no later than Friday, Aug. 15, to be guaranteed a tournament shirt.

"The sixth annual golf tournament is our largest fundraiser specifically to raise funds for the service dogs' program here at UDS," said Lori Breece, who is the manager of the service dogs training program. "It takes about $35,000 to $40,000 that we invest in each dog. If you do the math, we have 30 dogs at any given time in the program, and that's a lot of money that we have to raise. We really count on our fundraisers."

Breece noted that the tournament has continued to grow. "We really appreciate the support of the community since 2020, when we had our first golf tournament in the midst of a pandemic, and that didn't stop anyone from wanting to come out and support the dogs," she said. "We have been able to grow this year over year. We do have a lofty goal this year to raise $70,000. Last year, we raised $65,000, so it certainly isn't out of the possibility that we can do that. But we really need the community to support this effort, and there are a lot of people that love golf."

UDS previously held its golf tournament on a Friday afternoon in August. "We're hoping that this change elevates the event a little bit, and also as we continue to grow, we are looking into possibly holding two flights in the future," said Breece. "We need to make this event add $100,000 to our bottom line. It's really important that we get at least a fifth of our revenue goal from this fundraising event."

Breece stated that UDS works with individuals who have mobility disabilities such as muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis and people who require assistance through a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair. "Those are the type of clients that we're able to help, because all service dogs will be trained to retrieve and deliver (items) to somebody's lap," she said.

UDS also provides facility dogs for school districts, therapy offices, and child advocacy centers. "The dogs are not just touching one life," said Breece. "They're touching hundreds of lives."

UDS also supplies home companion dogs on rare occasions. "We placed one a couple of years ago," said Breece. "The dog's sole duty is to open the back door so that a woman in the wheelchair can get outside on her deck every day without her husband having to come home. Now she has a better quality of life because she can go be outside."

Breece pointed out the golf tournament is crucial in helping UDS offset the cost for individuals. "Every year, consistently, we lose $300,000 to $500,000 because we can't ask for the full cost from our clients," Breece said. "There's no way you can ask $30,000 from our vulnerable citizens, so we ask for $5,000. That's a fraction, and it barely covers the cost of the first year of training or the vet care or even purchasing the puppy. We are investing $35,000 to $45,000 into each puppy."

Golf sponsors include WellSpan, Primitives by Kathy, Alert Medical Alarms, Personal Wealth Advisory, Rineer Renovations, MI Windows & Doors, Bill and Kit Gamber, SN Lombardo Capital, Donegal Insurance Group, Simon Lever, Keller Bros. Ford, Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, ELA Group, Weis Markets, and Hines Insurance Services.

Sponsorships are available until Aug. 15 in various categories. For additional information, contact Breece at 717-847-0445 or lorib@udservices.org.