The Ninth Annual Chieftain Golf Outing will be played at Indian Lake Hills June 14. Pictured is Gale Sayers, who played in the inaugural event in 2004. (Daily News Photo/File)

The Ninth Annual Chieftain Golf Outing will be held June 14 at Indian Lakes Hills Golf Course.

The event, which has raised more than $185,000 in its first eight years, benefits the Dowagiac Athletic Booster Club and the Dowagiac Union School’s Foundation.

Through the efforts of the golf outing, the foundation have been able to sponsor such events as the senior citizen lunches and the Iditarod Race classroom project, as well as send students to experience first-hand the Potawatomi Zoo, a symphony at the Mendel Center, Sarrett Nature Center, the Kalamazoo Public Museum and the Van Buren Intermediate School District Vo-Tech Center.

The Athletic Boosters have been able to support many capital equipment purchases and continue to support the coaching staff as they attend conferences and clinics. Each year, four athletic scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors.

“As schools continue to experience phenomenal budget cuts and with the state of our current economy, our students are dependent more than ever on this, our major fundraiser of the years,” states a letter from Tom Carlson of the School’s Foundation and Beth Cripe, president of the Athletic Boosters.

The golf outing has been hugely successful from its inaugural event.

Along with 18 holes of golf at Indian Lake Hills, there is a hole-in-one contest, longest drive and closest to the pin contests for both men and women, mulligans, a silent auction, cookout and beverages, along with raffles and prizes.

The outing is currently looking for sponsors.

There are five sponsorship levels — Gold ($1,000), Scholarship Hole Sponsor ($500), Silver ($250), Bronze ($100) and Merchandise Sponsor.

For more information on the sponsorships or to donate to the outing, contact Jodi Badder at the Dowagiac Athletic Department at 782-4470.

An individual or a team may enter the outing. The cost for a team is $400 and an individual $100. Golfers may register by contacting the athletic office.