FLORENCE, Ala. — The Florence Education Foundation raised more than $14,000 at the inaugural Putting Fore the Falcons event at Forest Hills Elementary School on Saturday, April 22. The inaugural family-friendly event included a day full of putt-putt golf, carnival games, balloon animals, and food trucks.

Putting Fore the Falcons is the second fundraising event the Foundation hosts, the first being the Shoals Salsa Showdown in the fall. Proceeds from these events fund classroom grants that Foundation members distribute near the end of the fall semester each school year.

Florence Education Foundation Executive Director Miranda Haddock said partnering businesses sponsored and decorated different holes, and golfers could vote for their favorite. She added that the Foundation also wanted to incorporate the schools into the event setup, allowing Florence High School welding students to put their skills to the test.

“We went to the welding department because we knew that they did woodworking also, and they built 18 3x8 putt-putt boards for us,” Haddock said.

Haddock added that Putting Fore the Falcons was structured like a county fair where attendees purchased tickets at the door, and the number of tickets they purchased provided access to different activities. Asked about the fundraising totals, Haddock said $14,000 was great for the first year.