Mark Connell, is a former golf apprentice in the PGA program at Big Cypress Golf Club in Lakeland, Florida. Mark has turned his love of helping people improve their golf swings into a passion for building homes and feeding the homeless in and near Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I am proud to announce that Fairways Golf Vacations (FGV) has selected Mark's non-profit organization, The Honduras Project, as the company's primary charitable outreach. As part of our effort a portion of the profits of FGV each year will be donated to the organization to allow it to continue to grow. To help further grow the program both customers and suppliers to Fairways' will be invited to an annual fund-raising golf tournament at a world-class golf location each year with all proceeds after costs being donated to the organization. You will be invited to play in the tournament and combine your regular group's annual golf outing while helping some of the poorest folks in the world. If you cannot attend the tournament, just remember that every time you book your golf trip with FGV, you'll be helping a family in need. The location and date of the tournament will be announced in the next months, so be on the lookout here and in our quarterly newsletter for the full announcement.

When we announced plans to expand to a world-wide golf packaging company, I began searching for an international outreach program to support. Honestly, it was pretty easy. Mark is the former minister at my local church and had recently moved to Honduras. But he didn't always start out that way. Years ago, Mark was an aspiring PGA professional, who had completed the PGA business school in the top 5% of his class and passed the Playing Ability Test (PAT). Before the last interview for "A" certification, he decided to return to college and become a minister. After graduation, Mark and his wife, Lori were the youth ministers at my children's Sunday school. With a wide smile and a booming voice, Mark was an instant hit with parents and more importantly, all of the kids. While looking for ways to help suburban kids appreciate their American homes and country, Mark began leading youth mission trips to Honduras. He fell in love with the warm Honduran people and after many years of leading groups, the Connells decided to move there. Mark and Lori obtained permission to reside in Honduras full-time in 2008.

I've never met a guy who is more suited to working in this environment. Mark thrives on the work of helping the desperately poor of the mountain slums surrounding the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Most importantly, Mark is someone who believes in running a very lean charitable organization and I know that every penny is spent wisely. Adding to Mark's enthusiasm is his wife, Lori, who leads a ministry that provides training and micro-loans to single mothers to start small businesses that can lift them out of the slums. With Lori's help, these women are able to sustain their children and themselves with skills such as sewing, crafts, or managing a small in-home store. You can learn more about Mark and Lori's work at: www.thehondurasproject.org or www.thewomenofmyhope.org and we hope that you can join us for this worhtwhile golfing event later this year.