Jeff Vorva
Times correspondent
Lockport native Bobby Gikas earned an Evans Scholarship for the class of 2017 and parlayed it into some recent fame at the University of Illinois.
He is the Illiniâs menâs basketball manager, a usually obscure position.Â
Because of COVID-19 concerns, the nationally ranked Illini are playing in near empty arenas with no bands or cheerleaders. So, Gikas provides some of the noise. He jumps around yelling encouragement to players and holds up signs. And he is getting noticed.
âHaving Bobby bring that juice, I think thatâs very important,â freshman player Andre Cubelo told the Champaign News-Gazette. âI love Bobby.â
Golf and community involvement are two areas the Country Club of North Carolina prides itself in, and the club is preparing to start a youth caddie program that will embody both.
CCNCâs youth caddies will be a part of the Evans Scholars Foundation, which has a scholarship program that has sent more than 11,000 students to college on full-ride scholarships since its inception in 1930.
âThe club has a long history of trying to be a good neighbor,â said Jeff Dotson, the clubâs PGA Director of Golf.
âI think itâs a natural tie-in with golf and trying to help young kids gain some exposure to the game, while they are able to make a little bit of money. Especially with the potential opportunity with a scholarship, I think itâs kind of a no-brainer in that sense.â
Wisconsin Rapids City Times Local students receive full ride through caddying
For the Gazette
GLENVIEW, IL– Three local students have been awarded the Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies, following an online selection interview.
“Each of these deserving young students epitomizes what our program has been about since its creation in 1930,” said Western Golf Association Chairman Kevin Buggy. “Their dedication, hard work and sacrifice is humbling, and we are honored to be able to help them pursue their dreams.”
Recipients include: Kaleb Anderson of Wisconsin Rapids, Carson Parks of Port Edwards, and Katelyn Trowbridge of Milladore. All are caddies at Sand Valley Golf Resort.
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