TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
GOLF AND GUITARS Each year, the fundraiser begins with a golf tournament hosted at Northridge Country Club. Teams, many filled with friends of Clay, gather to compete in a friendly tournament and share memories of their beloved friend. After the golf tournament, a tribute band plays, and attendees gather to eat, celebrate, and dance. The party historically includes a highly-esteemed raffle drawing. A select amount of $100 tickets are sold to provide a chance to win a vacation for four. “The first year, we had no idea on how to throw a concert,” stated Eichler. “We had Jason Boland and The Stragglers, one of Clay’s favorite bands. We had a friend suggest a tribute band after being at a wedding in Houston and remarking how much fun it was. So, we decided to have tribute bands in the following years who offer music we like to dance to.”
2019: Dr. Ed and Gail Eichler
NINE YEARS OF GIVING BACK 2015— Texas A&M University-Texarkana was awarded $120,000 for a four-year scholarship and an endowed scholarship. 2016 & 2017— The ArkLaTex 100 Club was formed to help families of deceased officers. The Clay Eichler Memorial Fund combined their funds from 2016 and 2017 for a total of $310,000 to donate to the ArkLaTex 100 Club. “The ArkLaTex 100 Club is a direct result of Clay’s Golf and Guitars,” Eichler said. “This is the only community volunteer non- profit organization supporting police and firefighters. The mission is to provide funds for dependents of our first responders lost in the line of duty. Remaining funds are used to purchase any unbudgeted but necessary life-saving equipment and additional training.” The ArkLaTex 100 Club distributed funds to the family of slain correctional officer, Lisa Mauldin (47), on December 17, 2016, and to immediate family of Telford Unit Correctional Officer Coy Coffman (65) who passed from complications of COVID-19 on April 27, 2020. On October 27, 2021 Lucas Stephenson (25) died when the fire truck he was driving overturned. “We provided financial assistance to officer dependents within 72 hours of an officer’s death,” Eichler said. “We also supplied funds for life-saving, unbudgeted firefighter/police officer equipment.”
2022
CLAY’S GOLF AND GUITARS’ BANDS 2015 Jason Boland and The Stragglers 2016
CMA Artist Winner and Texas Country Music Hall of Famer Sonny Burgess 2017 Jonathan Moody Band 2018 The Fab 5: Beatles and 1960s Tribute Band 2019 Dancing Dream: ABBA Tribute Band 2021 ESCAPE: The Ultimate Journey Tribute Band 2022 Sail On: Beach Boys Tribute Band 2023
2020
Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute Show
22
COMMUNITY & CULTURE
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs