Civic-minded golf enthusiasts hit the links on a warm Monday afternoon at Victoria Club in Riverside to raise money for the Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation.
The event was part of the foundation’s annual golf tournament fundraiser, which supports several community initiatives, including the Black History Parade, the Empowering Young Women’s Conference and a scholarship fund.
Dell Roberts, founder of the foundation, said he was pleased with the turnout.
Roberts is a longtime Riverside-area community activist. He spent nearly 40 years working as an educator in the Riverside school system, serving in several roles, including football coach, assistant principal and campus supervisor.
“I think we have basically a full cadre of golfers. Very happy with that,” Roberts said.
Roberts said the annual tournament plays an important role in helping the foundation continue its community outreach efforts.
“Well, it’s important that we do it. It helps finance the other things that we do,” he said.
Among those programs are the Empowering Young Women’s Conference and the Black History Parade, which have become important parts of the foundation’s community work.
“It helps finance the other things that we do, the Empowering Young Women’s Conference, the Black History Parade, and those things that we do for the community,” Roberts said.
Of all the foundation’s activities, Roberts said the Black History Parade holds a special place in his heart.
“Well, the parade is my favorite,” he said.
Roberts said his connection to the parade goes back decades.
“I started that with two students in 1980,” he said.
The students were Beverly Nezart of Riverside Poly High School and Stephanie Thomas of North High School. Both were members of their schools’ Black Student Unions and worked with Roberts, their adviser, to establish the Riverside Black History Parade.
Several attendees said the tournament was not only a great way to raise money for worthwhile community causes but also an excellent opportunity to network, build relationships and connect with other civic-minded individuals.
Michael French of Elite Fundraising Solutions saw the tournament as an opportunity to mix business with pleasure. French said he attended the event to network with other professionals while also supporting the foundation and its community initiatives.
“Our company, which is called Elite Fundraising Solutions, works with golf tournaments all over the country,” French said.
French said his company has made supporting charitable golf tournaments a major part of its business.
“We’re actually the largest supporter of charity golf events,” he said.
French said the company’s primary mission is to help organizations generate financial support for their programs and causes.
“The main thing we’re doing is helping whatever the foundation or the tournament is about, whether it be a school or a foundation, helping them raise money,” French said.
French said his company has also benefited from word-of-mouth recommendations. He recalled how a participant in a previous golf tournament contacted him after being impressed by the company’s work.
“One of the gals that was in that tournament contacted me and said, ‘Hey, you guys did such a great job on this one, why don't you come out and help us when we do our tournament?’” French said.
For Adam James, a Riverside resident, the tournament has become a familiar event. James said he has attended the ADCR Foundation Golf Tournament for several years and was involved in helping organizers when the event was first established.
James said he continues to participate not only to support the foundation but also because he believes in several of the causes it champions.
He said he was particularly impressed by the foundation’s efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking, an issue he believes deserves greater public attention.
