Turning tragedy into triumph

Published 3:50 pm Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Weapons of Grass Destruction won the most creative pose competition at the inaugural Freezer Memorial. They were made up of Rob Freeze’s co-workers at AEP. The second Freezer Memorial will be held Aug. 10 at Juday Creek. (Leader photo/Provided)

Weapons of Grass Destruction won the most creative pose competition at the inaugural Freezer Memorial. They were made up of Rob Freeze’s co-workers at AEP. The second Freezer Memorial will be held Aug. 10 at Juday Creek. (Leader photo/Provided)

A tragedy didn’t defeat Allison Hayes.

Instead, she gained strength from others. Now, she wants to give back to the community.

The second annual Freezer Memorial Golf Outing will take place Aug. 10 at Juday Creek Golf Course. The event is in memory of Allison’s late husband Robert Freeze, who was killed in a car accident on Aug. 12, 2012.

Last year, the event took place in September and it benefited Allison’s 4-year-old daughter Emery and her college fund.

“My friend arranged it last year,” said Hayes. “It was so fresh and people wanted to do anything to help me out. It was great and there was a huge response, mostly friends and family. There were 29 total golf teams. I hope we can have even more teams this year.”

Hayes, who’s well known for her work as a sports reporter on Fox 28 and is a Niles High School graduate, wanted to expand the golf outing this year. She’s started “One Good Deed Michiana,” which is a non-profit charity.

“We want to recognize those people in our community who go out of their way to do nice things for others, just for the sake of doing it,” Hayes said. “We will start small with just a gift basket and a letter explaining how their actions have changed someone’s life. We want them to know they’re appreciated and hope they’ll inspire others to do the same. As OGD continues to grow we hope to change lives as well by doing room makeovers or making a home wheelchair accessible.”

There’s a noon shotgun start and a dinner after the golf with prizes and a raffle.

“There are free golf passes for 18 different golf courses in the area and gift cards for restaurants and clothing stores in the area,” Hayes said. “We want people to have a great time and get value for their money for a good cause.”

To register for the outing, individuals can get online at www.judaycreek.com and get on the events calendar or mail a check to: Allison Hayes, WSJV TV, 58096 County Road 7, South, Elkhart, Ind. 46517.

To sponsor the event, you can also send a check to the same address.

For more information, in regards to “One Good Deed Michiana” you can get online at www.faxcebook.com/OneGoodDeedMichiana.

Hayes says she works five to seven days a week to help get support for the outing.

“I’ve formed relationships with people from Coloma to Warsaw,” Hayes said. “I’ve never considered myself a salesman. It’s a different avenue for me. But when you know it’s for something meaningful it’s more motivating.”