2008 Birdies 4 Babies Golfing Fundraiser Off to a Great Start!

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery has kicked off its 4th annual season-long Birdies 4 Babies golfing fundraiser. Proceeds from Birdies 4 Babies will support MountainStar’s child abuse and neglect prevention program that serves at-risk families with babies and toddlers. The Birdies 4 Babies event invites golfers of all abilities, from beginners to professionals, to collect money for birdies (one under PAR) and for other great golf shots made during the 2008 golfing season. Each golfer is asked to donate their "birdie money" to MountainStar. B4B golfers are asked to send a check for birdie money collected directly to MountainStar or bring a check to the B4B Celebration Party given for B4B participants at the end of the golfing season. The B4B Celebration Party is scheduled on Oct. 28, 2008.

Last year (2007), more than $25,000 was raised through Birdies 4 Babies in support of the children and families of MountainStar. Men and women golfers throughout Deschutes County participated. In addition 26 local golf pros became “Professional B4B Birdiemakers”.

The 2008 Birdies 4 Babies fundraising goal is to raise over $25,000, plus additional matching funds for MountainStar. To learn more about MountainStar, check out www.mountainstarfamily.org. Better yet, come take a one-hour informational tour of the relief nursery. Tours are scheduled on the first Tuesday of every month (5:00-6:00 p.m.) and on the 3rd Friday of every month (12:30-1:30 p.m.).

To receive a Birdies 4 Babies fundraising kit, including a B4B tag to hang on your golf bag, please contact MountainStar at 541-322-6820.

Still Time to Sponsor B4B Golf Professionals!

The golfing season in Central Oregon will soon be coming to a close. It's not too late to sponsor a Birdies 4 Babies golf professional for their birdies made this season! The OPGA Fall Tour starts next week (Sept. 24-27) and will be played at the Awbrey Glen, Juniper, Eagle Ridge and Black Butte Ranch courses. To sponsor a B4B golf pro, please contact them directly. Below are 6 of the 26 golf pros who are participating in Birdies 4 Babies this season.

Rick Wild & Greg Robbins (Broken Top Club)






Chris Points & Tony Blasius (Sunriver Resort)





Dan Ostrin & Josh Bowles (Widgi Creek Golf Club)

Meet Susan and Taya Battistella, Birdies 4 Babies Participants

From left: Melinda Bailey, Susan Battistella, Shelly Hummel and Kathy Murch

While playing with Melinda Bailey, Shelly Hummel and Kathy Murch in the 2005 Three Sisters Open golf tournament, Susan Battistella suggested “Birdies 4 Babies” as the name for the informal golfing fundraiser started that summer by herself, Bailey, Hummel, Murch, Joanne Michael and Susan Weir. Earlier this summer, Susan helped stuff 1,000 B4B kits for distribution to Central Oregon golfers. An avid golfer, Susan lives and plays golf at Widgi Creek in Bend.

Taya Battistella (left), Susan’s daughter, is a golf professional on the rise. Last year, Taya played in the LPGA-tour qualifying tournament (Q-School), which was held in Florida in November. She asked friends, family and fans to support Birdies 4 Babies by pledging dollars for every birdie she made during the Q-school event. She helped raise over $1,500 for MountainStar. Winner of a 2006 event on the Cn Canadian Women’s Tour and the 2005 California Women’s Open champion, Taya currently competes in events on the Duramed Futures Tour. Taya will be competing in the sectional qualifying tournament for the LPGA on Sept. 19-22 at the Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs.

Crosswater Golf Pros Raise $500 for Birdies 4 Babies!

During the recent Ladies Member–Guest tournament at Crosswater Club, two of Crosswater’s golf pros (Adam Sollers and Clay Morton) “sold” shots to players – a shot over the river on the tough to carry 8th hole, and a tee shot on the difficult par 3 13th hole, with all the proceeds going to B4B. The pros did a great job and helped raise $500!!!!

Adam, along with fellow Crosswater golf pro Josh Willis, are also "B4B Birdiemakers". (If you would like to sponsor Adam or Josh for the birdies they make in Oregon PGA events, please contact them at 593-6196.)

Many thanks to Adam, Clay, and Josh and to all Crosswater members! This was yet another creative way that Crosswater has raised funds this year to help the at-risk children and families of MountainStar!

Meet Melinda Bailey, a Birdies 4 Babies Participant and Classroom Volunteer

Just ask Melinda Bailey, and she would tell you that she looks forward to every Tuesday, the day she volunteers to work with babies and children in MountainStar’s therapeutic classroom. The "therapeutic classroom" at MountainStar creates a safe, predictable, empowering environment where at-risk, distressed infants and children in our community can thrive.

Supervised by MountainStar teachers, (called “interventionists”), Melinda provides children with special attention, which helps them develop stronger social, emotional, motor and cognitive skills that will follow them throughout their lives. Through the dedicated support from classroom volunteers such as Melinda, MountainStar is able to address a child’s specific issues and developmental delays and maintain a highly individualized ratio of 3 children to 1 program staff/volunteer.

In addition to her volunteer work, Melinda is passionate about golf. As one of the founders of Birdies 4 Babies, Melinda has actively promoted the B4B fundraiser at Widgi Creek Golf Club, introducing the “3-Putt (PP) Pot” and “Birdie Pot” to the Widgi Creek Women’s Golf Association. (Ladies donate $ to MountainStar for 3-putts and birdies made during weekly play days.)

Melinda is shown here with Josh Bowles, a B4B Golf Professional from Widgi Creek Golf Club. They are standing behind Widgi's 3-Putt (PPP) Pot and Birdie Pot.

If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at MountainStar, please contact Patricia Nehl at 541-322-6820 or email her at patrician@mountainstarfamily.org.

More About Tiger’s 2006 British Open Flag

Last November, the 2006 British Open flag from Royal Liverpool (signed by Tiger Woods) was presented to MountainStar by local PGA golf professional and Birdies 4 Babies Pro participant Bob Garza. Bob, who is Director of Instruction at Lost Tracks Golf Club, obtained the flag from Steve Williams, Woods’ friend and long-time caddy. According to Bob, “Steve Williams has a personal connection to Central Oregon, and he was happy to secure this very special flag for MountainStar, knowing that it would help prevent child abuse in our community.” Earlier this year, the flag was presented to Dr. Jim Stone of Crosswater Club. As the top individual contributor to Birdies 4 Babies in 2006, Dr. Stone will keep the flag for the remainder of 2007.

Crosswater Club and "STAR" Deliver Again!

Earlier this month, Valerie Britton (left), a member of Crosswater Club, delivered to MountainStar over $4,000 in early proceeds from the club’s 2007 Birdies 4 Babies fundraising efforts. The proceeds included a check for $2,400 from an anonymous donor!

Valerie, along with Kim Rogers (right), has been instrumental in getting the Birdies 4 Babies fundraiser off the ground at Crosswater Club. Valerie and Kim are both members of STAR (Supporting Those At Risk), a Crosswater-based group of very generous, passionate and creative women. The mission of STAR is to support MountainStar Family Relief Nursery through fundraising and to foster community awareness for its programs. In addition to Birdies 4 Babies, the women of STAR serve as ambassadors for MountainsStar, through:

- DESIGNS FOR DINING: On September 19, 2007, STAR will host the first annual Designs for Dining charity luncheon and auction. The event will take place at the Seventh Mountain Resort in Bend. (For information on the event, e-mail: star@designsfordining.org)

- BIRTHDAY BAGS for children of MountainStar: Every child enrolled in MountainStar’s therapeutic classroom receives a birthday bag filled with gifts hand-selected and donated by the women of STAR.

- CHILDREN'S EXPEDITION SOCIETY: Many members of STAR are also members of MountainStar’s Children Expedition Society, a multiple-year giving program where each member of the society pledges a minimum of $1,000 per year for five years.