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Community Corner

Buerge/YMCA Golf Fundraiser Will Be a Family Affair

The June 4 golf tournament hosted by Buerge Motor Car Co. is inviting children and teens to join in the fun that benefits the Palisades-Malibu YMCA.

The 25th Annual Buerge/YMCA Golf Tournament is doing something new this year—it is encouraging children to join in on having fun for a good cause.

Families are being welcomed to the Malibu Country Club on June 4 to take part in the games, enjoy the activities or simply attend the after-golf dinner. Raffle tickets will be sold to attendees for $100 with a chance to win a $5,000 grand prize.

“We are the only local tournament played on a Saturday and we hope Palisadians will get their whole family involved and build foursomes of friends and neighbors,” said Carol Pfannkuche, Palisades-Malibu YMCA’s executive director.

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Special activities for children ages 10 and under begin at 4 p.m. after parent/child golf teams, teen foursomes and school golf team participants play. Golf entry fees for youth are $150 and $200 for adults.

“We are encouraging families, sports teams and Y Guide and Princess tribes to celebrate their group with a tee-sign,” Pfannkuche said. “They can keep it after the tournament for their backyard.”

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In addition to hosting the event it created, Buerge Motor Car Co. is also a sponsor. The car dealership was founded in 1915 by the grandfather of James Buerge, who is the chairman of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA’s board of managers, a post he’s held for 10 years.

“We’ve been serving the community as a car dealership since 1915. We are in our third generation of community involvement and are very supportive of the YMCA and all Palisadians,” he said.

His three daughters are the fourth generation of the Buerge family to be involved with the YMCA.

“My grandfather was involved in the Santa Monica YMCA and was one of the founders and was on the board of directors. . . . My family has been in the Palisades since the 1930s. . . . I grew up in the Palisades and have my kids in sports programs at the YMCA.”

Buerge said that the event typically brings in about $30,000 to $40,000, with all of the proceeds going to the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, in addition to a donation by his family of about $10,000 to $12,000.

“The funds are definitely important because many people don’t realize it but the YMCA is a nonprofit charity and they operate on a deficit, which means they’re actually losing money,” Buerge said. “The tournament helps offset the loss it takes on an annual basis to keep it going.” 

Although Buerge has been responsible for the event in the past, in the last couple of years the YMCA’s involvement in the tournament has grown. Pfannkuche and Laura Chung, a YMCA board member and co-chairwoman of the golf tournament, together thought of incorporating parent/child teams, said Buerge.

Aside from raising funds, the tournament is also meant to get people in the community out to interact with one another and have a good time, especially families.  

The Buerge golf tournament is the YMCA’s major fundraising event, said Pfannkuche, who also expressed her gratitude to the many people who support it.

“The Pacific Palisades YMCA has the biggest sports program in L.A.,” said Buerge.

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