After a two-year hiatus, the Outlaw Open golf tournament, dinner, and auction is returning to the June calendar as a fundraiser for athletics and other cocurricular activities for Sisters schools.

Everyone is invited to the event, scheduled for Friday, June 3, at Aspen Lakes, according to football coach Clayton Hall, who completed his first season with the team this year.

“The Outlaw Booster Club and I are so excited to have this event return after the pandemic,” he said. “I have heard that it sort of signaled the start of summer and really brought a lot of people together for a fun day and a good cause.”

Hall explained that football in particular faces ongoing equipment updates to help players stay safe. “A new helmet costs over $400, for example,” he said.

Cara Hudson and her husband, Brett, who have been longtime supporters as members of the booster club, agreed.

“Especially now after the pandemic, we need to get people together to have some fun and reconnect,” said Cara.

Since its inception in 1997, the Outlaw Open helped raise much-needed funds for the football program and other teams.

Matt Cyrus of Aspen Lakes Golf Course explained that the event had humble beginnings, but eventually raised a total of close to $300,000 over the years.

According to Cyrus, Coach Bob Macauley was faced with such a lack of funding he was considering paying for the costs for his teams to travel to playoff games out of his own pocket. Cyrus’ younger brothers were members of the team and at one point members of the family were visiting Macauley and the need for funds came up.

“We offered the golf course, which was in its first years, to Bob for an event and he organized a low-key day of golfing with simple BBQ of hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks that he bought at Ray’s,” said Cyrus. “As it turned out it rained that day and the only golfers were friends and family of the Macauleys. If I remember correctly, Dan Fouts and Dennis Dempsey actually gave a little extra money to not golf since the weather was so poor.”

Eventually, other people got involved, including homeowners at Aspen Lakes and Bill Reed, a staunch supporter of the school district. Sponsorships were developed, a high-quality meal was introduced and by the third year, the event really took off.

“It became a day that many people looked forward to every year and we’re really hoping we can rekindle that level of excitement,” said Cyrus.

For those that want to make a full day of it, the golfing starts at 1 p.m. using a scramble format and is followed by dinner and an auction for a cost of $130. The entry fee covers green fees, golf carts, range balls, and the dinner. For $150 a ticket to the annual Outlaws Hall of Fame awards night, scheduled for September, will be added.

Golfers can sign up as groups of four or as individuals that will be placed into a group. In scramble golf a captain is declared for each group. As each player hits, the captain determines the best ball placement on the first shot and each player hits from that spot.

Non-golfers can opt for the dinner and auction for $35. Live music will be featured as well.

Businesses and private donors are invited to become sponsors of the event at a variety of levels ranging from Premiere Sponsors ($5,000) to Pride Sponsors ($150) , which are thoroughly described on the Outlaw Booster Club website https://outlawboosterclub.com . The website includes registration forms for taking part in the Outlaw Open as well as information on how to become a sponsor.

Kim Henderson is the lead on collecting items for the silent and live auction and can be reached at 541-419-9398.

Organizers are optimistic that the event will gain the traction it enjoyed in its heyday.

“With the growth in Sisters over the past few years many business owners and individuals may not even be aware of the Outlaw Open, so we are hoping to add to the supporters we have traditionally had,” said Hall.

Cyrus agreed, saying, “It’s been a fun program and we at Aspen Lakes are pleased we can leverage the course to help the school programs and hope it will become one of the annual social events of the year.”

Cyrus noted that the event will feature a high-quality catered meal prepared by the chefs at Aspen Lakes.

The Booster Club is a non-profit that supports all co-curricular activities within the Sisters School District and is open to parents, community members, and anyone interested in supporting the group’s mission. Information on how to become a member is on the website at http://ssd6.org/athletics/outlawboosterclub.

Notge: This story was edited to reflect the correct day of the week for the event).