Community Collaboration – New and Returning Community Partnerships at Baylands - First Tee

This summer season marks the first time since the pandemic that we could begin welcoming our community partners back to the golf courses. Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) and First Tee – Silicon Valley restarted the partnership which began in the Winter of 2018. Every Friday this summer, 16 participants from the PAL program will board a van provided by the SAGA Foundation and their President, David Bartoshuk, to be transported from their school to Baylands Golf Links for their once-a-week class. Thank you to the PAL team, including Ivan Martinez, Enrique Calderon, Ricardo Aguilar and Monique Martinez, for working with us to restart our partnership and offer FTSV classes for these 16 amazing participants. We are pleased to also be able to partner with two new community organizations, Anamatangi and Live in Peace, who do fantastic work serving East Palo Alto students and families. Anamatangi supports the mental, physical, communal, and spiritual wellbeing of Pacific Islander families. Live in Peace mentors, councils, tutors, coaches and advocates for youth and young adults and helps them reclaim the vision for their future. We are grateful to Anamatangi’s Executive Director, Tiffany ‘Uhila-Hautau, and Live in Peace’s Managers, Bob Hoover and Eugene Jackson for their partnership and for pathing the way for their students to take First Tee classes at Baylands. Each week the participants from PAL, Anamatangi, and Live in Peace join the over 60 FTSV participants at Baylands Golf Links in learning our First Tee Life Skills Experience and Golf Fundamentals through various golf games. Golf is a fun and effective vehicle for building character, and as a result, we at FTSV believe it is a game that should be experienced by all. Please help spread the word so more participants can have access to our program and to this great game. Our next season will take place September 7^th to October 30^th at Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course in San Jose, and Gavilan Golf Course in Gilroy. Registration will open here August 11^th at 10am. For more information on our programs please visit https://www.firstteesiliconvalley.org/