Mike McCombs is the sports editor at the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. He is on his second tour of duty in the Lowcountry. | If you're headed out to the American Junior Golf Association's Hilton Head Junior All-Star event this week at Berkeley Hall, you'll need to get plenty of fluids to try to stay hydrated in this brutal heat.
Luckily, you can swing by the 11th hole and pick up a perfect summer beverage from the Kids Wanna Help Lemonade Brigade, and here's the best part -- all proceeds go to charity.
Kids Wanna Help was launched in 2007 by sisters Mary-Brent and Beverly Brown, and the organization has donated more than $50,000 to various charities since.
Brittany Pierce is manning the lemonade stand this week while her older brother, Brandon, shoots for his second AJGA title in three weeks. For $2 you can get a big cup of the refreshing beverage, and you can get a $1 refill when you swing back by a few holes later.
You can also buy other gear -- wristbands, hats, etc. -- from the stand, and all the proceeds this week go to the AJGA ACE Grant program, a need-based program that provides families with financial assistance that helps them with the expenses associated with playing AJGA events.
Since the program's inception in 2003, the AJGA says it has awarded ACE Grants to 251 junior golfers and reimbursed more than $671,000 to help with entry fees, travel, housing and food and beverage costs. In 2009 alone, 88 junior golfers and their families benefited from the program, and that number is expected to exceed 100 this year.
According to the AJGA, of the 168 ACE Grant graduates, 99 have reported receiving financial aid to attend colleges and universities.
So stop by and grab a cup of lemonade this week. You'll help your body stay cool and help someone else in the process.