Mauch Chunk Charity Foundation hosted its sixth annual golf tournament recently at Mountain Valley Golf Course in Barnesville. This year, the beneficiary was Camp Freedom, a nonprofit organization that offers free outdoor adventures like hunting, camping and fishing for disabled individuals, including veterans and first responders, their families and Gold Star families. As a result of their fundraising efforts, $5,082 will be donated to Camp Freedom.

The Mauch Chunk Charity Foundation was founded in 2015 by a group of friends looking to raise money for local organizations. During their inaugural year, the group hosted a golf tournament to benefit the Lehigh Valley MS Walk. Since then, their tournaments have benefited the Shriners Hospital for Children, the Lehigh Valley Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and two local members of the community. Last year’s tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, so the foundation was excited to see the community return to the tournament with such a high level of support.

The foundation has also expanded their fundraising efforts beyond hosting an annual golf tournament by also participating in the annual Mauch Chunk Heritage Festival where they sell soups as well as teaming up with 40 Story Radio Tower, which has written and directed two Christmas plays to also raise money for the community, including Family Promise and Peaceful Knights homeless shelters.

The Mauch Chunk Charity Foundation has given back more than $45,000 to local community organizations since its inception in 2015.

Members of the Mauch Chunk Charity Foundation are: Mark Donnelly, Brian Hawk, Becky Zerfuss, Harry Pry, Meredith Koons, Jay Llewellyn and Christopher Holland. However, the organization recognizes that it wouldn’t be able to do all that it does without the help of volunteers at each of its events and, of course, the support of the community who attends.