Annual golf tournament helps fund scholarships
The San Jacinto College Foundation raised more than $130,000 at its 24th annual golf tournament at Golf Club of Houston on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019.
A total of 29 teams took to the green after the shotgun start. The Merrill Private Wealth Management team (Roger Berry, Patty Hood, Jose Moran, and Johnny Ellis) took this year's title as tournament winners, with the HTS Inc. Consultants team (Darrell Morrison, Bobby Gilbert, Lonnie Scott, and John Reddell) winning second place, and the J. Harding & Co. team (Troy Carlson, Steven Prewitt, Kevin Plummer, and Troy Whitney) taking third place.
In addition to registration fees benefiting student scholarships, proceeds from the event's silent auction, facilitated by Diamonds in the Rough Sports Memorabilia Charity Auctions, also helped fund scholarships, academic/technical programs, and student success initiatives.
This year the Foundation honored the Niday family as its Lifetime Legacy Award recipient. Joy Niday, local business owner and San Jacinto College Foundation board member, along with Patricia Niday, accepted the award at the tournament luncheon. The Niday family has endowed two scholarships to the Foundation in honor of their parents- the Joy Ruth Niday Scholarship for nursing students and the Capt. John B. "Jack" Niday Jr. Maritime Scholarship.
"When mother passed away in 2003, I gave thought to how I could honor her," said Joy Niday. "I decided to set up a scholarship in her name for nursing students. My mom had the desire to become a nurse, but couldn't afford to achieve it. Now, every time her scholarship helps a student fulfill their dream, I know we are helping someone else make that journey in her honor."
Upon her father's passing last year, she decided to endow a second scholarship in his honor. Upon graduating from Milby High School in 1949, John B. "Jack" Niday began working at the Houston Ship Channel. He became a tugboat captain at 19, and in 1959 he entered the Houston Pilots Association as their youngest deputy and became a full pilot in 1960.
"The Captain John B. 'Jack' Niday Scholarship is dedicated to supporting maritime students at San Jacinto College, in honor of four generations of Niday men who have served on Houston's Ship Channel," Niday added.
Since two of her children attended San Jacinto College and her business is located a short distance from the South Campus, she felt that the College was the logical place for her to make a legacy gift to honor her parents.
To date, the Niday family has funded 48 student scholarships totaling nearly $25,000.
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