Five years of golf, giving, and one pretty incredible community.
This September, we gathered at Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell, Georgia, for our 5th Annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament, presented by Amwins.
It was also HOT. And we mean really hot.
But even a scorching Georgia day couldn’t stop our golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and friends from showing up for Specially Gifted Foundation. By the end of the tournament, together we had raised more than $62,000, making this our biggest golf tournament yet!
We are still smiling thinking about the day and incredibly grateful for everyone who has helped turn this tournament into what it is today.
Five Years of Golfing for a Greater Purpose
When we hosted our first Specially Gifted Golf Tournament five years ago, we hoped it could become a fun way to bring people together while raising meaningful support for our mission.
Five tournaments later, it has become so much more.
Each year, we welcome back familiar faces while meeting new golfers, businesses, sponsors, and partners who want to be part of the Specially Gifted community. This year was no exception. We were excited to welcome several new sponsors and partners alongside so many who continue to show up for us year after year.
And while we certainly love a good day of golf and friendly competition, the reason everyone comes together is much bigger.
Specially Gifted Foundation exists to expand opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers through Family Giftings, Community Giftings, beneficial resources, and a sense of community.
Through our Family Giftings, SGF provides individualized gifts and opportunities based on what would make a meaningful difference for a person with a disability and their family. Over the years, that has included adaptive equipment, mobility and accessibility needs, therapy support, accessible experiences, and other needs that can improve everyday life.
Our Community Giftings allow that impact to reach even further. We partner with schools, nonprofits, disability organizations, and other community groups to fund projects, resources, equipment, experiences, and accessibility improvements that can benefit many individuals with disabilities and caregivers at once.
Since our earliest days, families have received support for needs ranging from adaptive seating and mobility equipment to therapy and accessible transportation.
Events like this tournament help us keep saying “yes” to more opportunities like these.
The Heart Behind the Tournament
One of our favorite parts of any Specially Gifted event is when the families we serve get to be part of it, too.
This year, we had the privilege of having the dad of one of our newest Gifted Families join us on the course after his family was gifted by SGF earlier this year.
For us, that is what brings everything full circle.
There is something special about having a Gifted Family right there alongside the golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters who make this work possible. It connects a fun day on the golf course to the people and purpose behind it.
That is the heart of this tournament, and the reason we keep coming back year after year.
And the Winners Are...
Of course, we can’t have the Specially Gifted Golf Tournament without a little friendly competition!
A big congratulations goes to Jimmy Tidwell of tee sponsor Tidwell Trees and his team for taking home this year’s win.
This isn’t Jimmy’s first time at the top either. A Tidwell Tree team also won our tournament two years ago, officially making Jimmy a two-time Specially Gifted Golf Tournament champion.
We also have to congratulate Alex Watkins, this year’s Putting Contest winner! The putting contest has become a favorite part of tournament day, and there was plenty of competition for the win.
The fun continued off the course too, with our tournament raffles giving golfers a few more chances to take home a win while helping raise even more for SGF along the way!
Between the friendly competition, laughs, good food, cold drinks, and everyone finding whatever patch of shade they could, it was a fun day from the first tee time to the final putt.
Congratulations again to Jimmy, his team, and Alex. The rest of our golfers have officially been put on notice for year six!
A Growing Community of Sponsors and Partners
We say this often because it is true: we could not do this without our community.
A very special thank you goes to our Title Sponsor, Amwins, for their generous support of this year’s tournament and their continued belief in the mission of Specially Gifted Foundation.
We especially loved having members of the Amwins team volunteer with us this year, welcoming golfers as they arrived and helping with registration first thing that morning. Seeing their team show up not only as a sponsor, but also ready to jump in and be part of the day, made their support even more special.
And we have to give a special shoutout to SGF Board Member Andrew Lanham. Andrew has been a driving force behind this tournament and has helped us grow it year after year. From championing SGF within Amwins to bringing new ideas, relationships, and support to the tournament, so much of what this event has become over the past five years has Andrew’s fingerprints on it. We are incredibly grateful to have him in our corner and on our board.
We were also thrilled to welcome new sponsors and partners to the tournament this year. Watching businesses discover SGF, learn more about the individuals and families we serve, and then decide they want to be part of this community is one of our favorite parts of growing this event.
To every sponsor, tee sponsor, golfer, donor, volunteer, and supporter who contributed to this year’s tournament, thank you.
Some of you have been with us for years. Some joined us for the very first time this year. Every single one of you helped make this day possible.
Our Biggest Golf Tournament Yet
Five years in, it’s pretty incredible to look at how far this tournament has come.
Last year’s tournament raised $53,000 for SGF. This year, our community helped us surpass $62,000, making our fifth annual tournament our largest fundraising year yet.
But growth for us isn’t simply about raising a bigger number each year.
It means more people know about our mission. More businesses are choosing to become partners. More people are learning about the experiences and needs of individuals with disabilities and their caregivers.
Most importantly, it gives us more opportunities to make a meaningful difference for the people and communities SGF exists to serve.
And that is the part we’re most excited about.
Thank You for Five Incredible Years
To Amwins, Horseshoe Bend Country Club, our sponsors, golfers, donors, volunteers, board members, Gifted Families, and everyone who played a part in this year’s tournament, thank you.
Whether this was your first year joining us or you’ve been part of the tournament since the beginning, you are part of this story.
Five years ago, we couldn’t have known exactly what this tournament would become.
Today, we get to look around a packed golf course and see longtime supporters alongside brand-new partners. We get to have one of our Gifted Family dads out there golfing with us. And we get to know that when the last putt drops and everyone heads home, the impact of the day is really just getting started.
That’s pretty special.
And after we all recover from the Georgia heat, we’ll be ready to do it again.
We’ll see you for year six!
See Photos from the 2026 Specially Gifted Golf Tournament
Find yourself and your team, download your favorites, and share them with us! Be sure to tag @SpeciallyGiftedFoundation so we can see and share your memories from the day.
See Past Specially Gifted Golf Tournaments and Their Impact
First Annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament
Second Annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament
Third Annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament
Fourth Annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament
Thank you for making year five our biggest yet. We can’t wait to see where this community takes us next.
