Rock Valley Golf Classic: A Stateline Tradition Hits an Extraordinary Milestone
June 29th, 2022
During the spring of 1995, the Ronald McDonald House in Madison was just two years old yet had become a critical respite for families from the Janesville, Beloit, and Rockford areas. David Cullen, of JP Cullen construction company, was a driving force in developing the original House. That spring he gathered a group of local Stateline businessmen who envisioned an annual event where serious golf could have a long-standing impact on families needing hope. And so, the Rock Valley Golf Classic began.
Golfers and sponsors gathered for the 26th outing this month, many of who have played and supported the mission for more than a decade. Chuck Elliott has been an active committee member since its inception. Other committee members have lost count of the years dedicated to the event. David Cullen, Bill Kennedy, and Erik Dahlberg, stalwarts of the event, are either still passionately involved or have passed the baton to the next generation of family members. The tradition continues strong.
During the pandemic, the committee, sponsors, and golfers understood this outing was more than a day on the greens, it was a vital way to raise funds to keep the Ronald McDonald House doors open. On average, twenty percent of all of our families are from this area, served by the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room at SSM Health St. Mary’s-Madison, or the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile which provides free wellness checks and immunizations to children in the Rockford area.
An estimated $1 million has been raised since its inception, and this summer, Chuck Elliott’s dream of raising $100,000 in a single year will be realized. Golfers listened to Christa Lehman of Edgerton, who shared her story about the difference RMHC made while her youngest daughter Lexie spent a month in the NICU in Madison. That evening, they raised their paddles and hearts high to help reach an extraordinary milestone.
We are humbled by the dedication of our committee, Ethan Dahlberg, Chuck Elliott, Mark Gregory, Linda Kamppi, Bobby Kennedy, Sarah Klawitter, Jennifer Johns, Kyle Mair (chair), and Steve Neas, as well as the golfers and sponsors who turn out year-over-year to make this event a success. They have truly teed us up for success.