Contact:

Bill Craig                                                          Fay Lim

Communications Specialist II                          Communications Supervisor

Bill.Craig @snoco.org                                      Fay.Lim@snoco.org

425-388-3884                                                  425-388-6413

Snohomish County Public Works Employee Golf Tournament 

Scores Hole-In-One Raising $88,000 for International Relief Charity

Fundraising brings in $4,000 and is matched 22 times by aid agency 

EVERETT, Wash., Sept. 26, 2019 – Many people living in extreme poverty around the world will receive needed assistance thanks to the Third Annual Owen B. Carter (OBC) Classic Golf Tournament organized by Snohomish County Public Works employees.

The event raised $4,000, but that sum has been matched 22 times by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners for a total of $88,000. This fund is being donated to international relief charity Food for the Hungry, a Christian international relief, development, and advocacy organization founded in 1971.

Snohomish County Public Works Deputy Director and County Engineer Doug McCormick and Engineering Technician Shawn Rodland, who began the tournament with others in 2017, were both surprised.

“Owen was one to always help those in need,” McCormick said. “This golf tournament has enabled us to annually raise money for the neediest in the world – children living in extreme poverty – and give them a chance to have a full and productive life. He dedicated his life to helping others and we will continue his legacy.”

USAID is an independent agency of the federal government primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. Coca-Cola, Proctor and Gamble, The World Bank, and UNICEF, are among the organizations providing matching funds. The amount raised could make significant impacts for people in impoverished countries, including equipping small village medical centers and clinics, building latrines for schools and other needs.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to help a lot of people,” Rodland said. “It goes to the highest need: clothes, food, water, wherever it’s needed.”

The tournament, named for former Snohomish County Public Works Deputy Director and County Engineer Owen Carter, took place Sept. 7 at Walter Hall Golf Course in Everett. Many of the 104 participants, including the fundraising organizers, are Snohomish County employees that volunteered for the event on their own time.

Rodland said he and other employees knew that Carter was involved with Food for the Hungry, so it only seemed appropriate to continue Carter’s efforts. In the three years of the OBC Golf Classic, $10,000 has been directly raised.

Carter worked for Snohomish County Public Works for 24 years. He was president of the Washington State Association of Counties (WSACE) and received the first Snohomish County Public Works Professional Achievement Award for his dedication and professionalism. Carter died in 2017 after succumbing to brain cancer.

About Snohomish County Public Works

The Snohomish County Public Works Department constructs and maintains county roads; controls and manages surface water quantity, quality, and fish habitats; and oversees the recycling and disposal of solid waste. The department’s main office is located at 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201. For more information about Snohomish County Public Works, visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/PublicWorks.