The Fairways to Fairytales Golf Tournament was founded in 2003 to honor David Blaylock. David was an accomplished financial planner with Smith Barney and an involved member of the Fairytale Town Board of Directors. He was slated to be President in 2003 but died suddenly in November of 2002 at the young age of 48. At his funeral, his friends and colleagues in the financial services industry remarked that the only time they saw each other was at funerals, and they should get together more often for camaraderie and fun.
Dave’s widow, Nina, and Smith Barney colleague, Cathi Johnson, took those remarks to heart and came to chat with me in the spring of 2003 about putting together a Golf Tournament in Dave’s honor to benefit Fairytale Town. The first Tourney was held that fall at the 9-hole Land Park Golf Course. After the Tourney, golfers and their families wandered over to Fairytale Town for a reception and awards. Dave was fondly remembered, toasted to, (roasted a bit as well) and celebrated. It was – and continues to be – a meaningful way to remember a wonderful man, spend time with old friends and colleagues, and benefit a worthy cause.
As time has marched on, the Tourney has evolved. After a few years it moved to an 18-hole course to accommodate more golfers, and has become a friendly competition among the brokerage firms in town. Not all of the golfers have connections to David Blaylock any more, but they all share things he valued – time spent with family and friends, the game of golf, and supporting community causes.
This is the 10th year of the Tourney and the last year Cathi Johnson will head up the effort. She has done an incredible amount of work over the years to make the game of golf meaningful and fun. The Fairways to Fairytales Tournament has raised more than $90,000 for Fairytale Town during its 10 year history.
Fairways to Fairytales is a wonderful legacy to David Blaylock. It brings people together for an afternoon of play, provides a touching way to remember a wonderful man, and makes a lasting contribution to children in our region. I know Dave would be proud of Nina, their daughters Elise and Mallory, and his friend and colleague Cathi, who have worked so hard to make this possible. I know all of us at Fairytale Town are grateful to have had Dave’s involvement here and for the incredible support his family and friends have shown us. We are honored to be part of his legacy.