St. Coletta’s, Kowalis Auto Group make golfer’s dream come true

Dan Koors from Downers Grove is headed to Pebble Beach, Calif. this December to compete in the 2023 Lexus Champions for Charity National Championship.

Koors, who purchased 10 raffle tickets at St. Coletta’s Kennedy Golf Invitational on Aug. 21, won the coveted drawing that night.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Koors, who has been trying to win the once-in-a-lifetime golf experience for about 10 years now.

He and a friend will join nearly 300 other amateur golfers from across the United States at the three-day, 54-hole Lexus Champions for Charity tournament Dec. 6-10 in Pebble Beach, Calif.

He hasn’t decided which friend will accompany him on the trip, however.

“They’re all willing and available,” he said with a chuckle as he looked around the group of friends he golfed with at the Kennedy Golf Invitational.

Only a select group of charities are chosen to participate in the Lexus Champions for Charity National Championship competition each year. St. Coletta’s of Illinois is among that select group and is sponsored by Lexus of Orland, a Kowalis Auto Group dealership.

Nearly 450 raffle tickets were sold by St. Coletta’s of Illinois, raising over $20,000 for the nonprofit social service agency.

Based in Tinley Park. St. Coletta’s of Illinois provides educational, residential and vocational training services to developmentally and intellectually disabled children and adults from the south and southwest suburbs.

The Lexus Champions for Charity golf series dates back to 1989 and has helped raise over $520 million for worthy causes throughout the country. The golf series begins with over 100 golf tournaments held at golf and country clubs across the U.S., and culminates with the three-day championship tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Links at Spanish Bay and Spyglass Hill.

Lexus supports the local tournaments by making a donation to each associated charity, while offering competitors the opportunity to win a Lexus and represent their charity in the annual Lexus Champions for Charity National Championship at Pebble Beach Resorts in December.

The charities represented by the Top 5 Net Division and Top 5 Gross Division teams will divide a $60,000 purse, with the winning net and gross team claiming $12,000 for its hometown charity.

Ironically, it was Koors who won St. Coletta’s other raffle at the Kennedy Golf Invitational – the Beat the Nun raffle. In that raffle, Koors won a putter donated by Bettinardi.

John Rodney of Barrington took home the flag autographed by professional golfer Jordan Spieth.