Why I Traded My Golf Clubs for a Camera at This Year’s Mission Cup

By Jason Terry, Board Member for Father’s Club

Monday, August 17th was the first of two Mission Cup golf tourney days for Father’s Club.

The second Mission Cup opportunity for 2026, that you can still sign up for, is on Monday, September 28th.

These two fundraising efforts for Father’s Club are incredibly important. Mission Cup is the primary fundraiser that keeps Father’s Club moving forward. We are strengthening bonds between dads and their kids at more than 50 schools in the Kansas City Metro. Without this financial support, Father’s Club wouldn’t be able to make the magic happen. (So yes, please consider donating to, or participating in, the second day of the Mission Cup!)

Volunteering Instead of Playing

For many years, I’ve fielded a team of four men for the Mission Cup. It’s a blast to play golf with friends while financially supporting a good cause. But what was different about August 17th for me is that I was volunteering instead of playing. There are lots of reasons behind that decision, including a knee replacement surgery in December last year (but I’m pretty much 100% now) as well as the fact that Mike Davisson, Executive Director for Father’s Club, needed help. He needed help with registration. And he needed help getting photos of the teams because the photographer that was going to be at the event had a great opportunity for a job interview and needed to be there instead of on the golf course.

I got to the course early. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. We’ve had quite a few silly hot days for these events over the years, so this was an amazing gift.

Registration

I started getting registration going with Mike Davisson, Mike Wiley and Robert Mitchell. And all the teams started showing up.

I recognized quite a few men from past events as well as others from doing business together in the same community. That’s one of the interesting things I’ve come to appreciate about Father’s Club. There are so many solid men involved in the organization. When I say solid, I am talking about men with big hearts. Men that do what they say they are going to do. Men that are incredibly successful in business (and still make time to be intentional with their kids at school through Fist Bumps for Food.) These are the caliber of men I want to surround myself with because they challenge me, support me and walk the path with me.

I know this is a blog recap about a golf event, but it’s important to mention the strength of these relationships and why we’re all showing up together.

Here. We. GO!

Everybody headed out to the sea of golf carts to load their bags, hit some practice putts and drives and then it was time for the shotgun start. It’s almost like hearing the report of a starting gun at a track event… it’s an exciting moment.

Now it was time for my second assignment: Get some pics of the teams. So I grabbed a spare cart and headed out.

There is no question this was the highlight of my day. I was able to take my time driving around the golf course on a beautiful day. And at each tee box, I was able to have a quick moment with four other guys having a blast. It’s not easy to describe how I was feeling. I knew quite a few of these guys. I knew we were all here for a good cause while also having fun with our friends.

I guess the best thing I can say is that I felt a strong sense of purpose in those moments. I was able to capture some of those feelings in the pictures I took. You can find them here in a Google Photos album I put together. After you click that link, just look at those guys! Talk about genuinely happy men. And a couple of squirrels chasing each other around a tree. And it wouldn’t be a Mission Cup if somebody didn’t have a fishing pole with them. Yes, a fishing pole… and they caught a fish. You gotta look at the pictures to see what I’m talking about.

Father’s Club Events

If I was sitting across the table from you right now sharing this story, you would feel how passionate I am about showing up and being a part of this organization. Whether you have kids in school still or not, this is a great way to stay in touch with other men in your community. And you can still make an impact on the youth in our community through the many events that each Father’s Club Chapter has every year.

If you don’t have a solid group of men that you meet with on a regular basis, Father’s Club might be a good answer. We all have a basic need to be in relationships. And as we move towards our 50s, 60s and 70s, having trusted relationships that can serve as mentors, peers and stretcher bearers will be one of the most important things in your life.

Thank you to everyone that participated to make the August 17th Mission Cup such a great moment. Players, Sponsors, Board Members, the course staff… it was a wonderful day worth remembering. So if you TOTALLY MISSED IT… get involved and pay attention to all of the announcements we do about upcoming events like Mission Cup, the Kentucky Derby Watch Party, Car Shows, School Events and more.

Your next best step would be to sign up for Benefaster and then you will be able to browse through upcoming events!