Scottsdale Sister Cities embrace golf enterprise with Killarney
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Four student athlete golfers have been selected as Scottsdale’s youth ambassadors to Killarney, Ireland. through the inaugural international student golf exchange sponsored by the Scottsdale Sister Cities Association.
The students are:
- Payton Connelly, a sophomore at Arcadia High School;
- Oscar Uribe, a junior at Saguaro High School;
- Raleigh Lard, a junior at Horizon High School; and
- Aaryan Dwivedi, a junior at BASIS Scottsdale.
Dale Balvin, PGA member, founder of Golf’s Elementary and director of instruction for Arizona Junior Golf, will chaperone throughout the Ireland trip. A second chaperone will be JoAnn Garner, chair of SSCA’s Killarney Committee.
To be selected for the youth ambassadorship, students had to demonstrate previous golf experience, academic achievement, leadership skills and community engagement on a written application and oral interview.
“We had many worthy applicants which attests to the quality of youth golf instruction and athletics in our local schools,” Ms. Garner said in a prepared statement.
Irish Golf Scramble benefits golf exchange
The four SSCA Youth Ambassadors will participate in the Irish Golf Scramble on May 12 at Scottsdale’s Silverado Golf Club. The event is a fundraiser benefitting SSCA’s Golf Exchange and the Valley’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Faire, which operates the Arizona Colleen and Lass, both Irish heritage programs.
May 5 is the deadline to register to participate in this day of Irish fun and camaraderie. Golfers can register as singles or foursomes and businesses or individuals can sign up for various tax-deductible sponsorships.
Details and registrations HERE.
Golf Exchange is June 17-26 and Oct. 26-Nov. 4
The exchange kicks off June 17 with the Scottsdale foursome and chaperones traveling to Dublin and Killarney to be home-hosted by the families of four Killarney student golfers. The Irish student delegation will be home hosted in Scottsdale from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. Both itineraries include three matches for the golfers to hone their skills on noteworthy local golf courses, plus cultural excursions and volunteering with a charitable organization in the host city.
“We are grateful to Killarney Town Twinning Association for arranging tee times for our youth ambassadors at the prestigious Killarney Golf and Fishing Club and Dooks Golf Links of Glenbeigh where they’ll experience the sport beside the magical settings of Lough Leane and the Atlantic Ocean,” Mr. Garner said.
SSCA chose to build a youth ambassador exchange around the sport of golf in recognition of its importance to both Scottsdale and Killarney, Ireland, Scottsdale’s sister city since 2020.
“Golf is a lifelong and non-violent sport critical to the prosperity of Scottsdale; therefore, Scottsdale Sister Cities is educating world-class ambassadors of peace through the game of golf,” Ms. Garner said.
