Some of the golf carts that will be rolling along the paths at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course on Aug. 6 will have something extra attached to them.

As part of the sixth annual Tee’d Off Against Violence Golf Tournament that day, the carts will have shields on them which tell the story of someone lost to violence. Those shields will serve as a reminder of the twin purposes of the day’s event: raising money and raising awareness. It is a noble cause worthy of wide support.

The tournament is sponsored by the Homicide/Other Violent Crimes Program, which is part of the Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center, based in Fort Dodge.

Although it’s a golf tournament, you don’t have to be a golfer to support this important cause and have fun at the same time.

The activities actually begin on Aug. 5 with a silent auction and a concert by the Kris Karr Band. All of that will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, 424 First Ave. S.

The golfing will begin at 9 a.m. Aug. 6 at the course, which is north of Fort Dodge at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park. A second silent auction featuring different items will be held in the clubhouse, Also, there will be an online auction.

The money raised at this event – organizers are hoping for $20,000 – will pay for a wide range of services to people who have lost loved ones to homicide or have been victims of violent crime themselves. The money will help pay for crisis intervention work, counseling, travel expenses for people having to travel to court hearings, and just about every other imaginable expense.

Providing that kind of help is essential and so we ask everyone, both golfers and those who don’t play the game, to support this initiative.