Stadium Field disc golf tournament honors friend and helps Humane Society
Derrick Fox prepares to sling a disc toward the goal during the Matt Newlon Memorial Stadium Field Putting Party Saturday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Co-founder Justus Robinson sends a disc sailing toward the goal during the Matt Newlon Memorial Stadium Field Putting Party Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Josh Harmon goes to collect his disc after scoring a goal during the Matt Newlon Memorial Stadium Field Putting Party Tournament Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Derrick Fox prepares to sling a disc toward the goal during the Matt Newlon Memorial Stadium Field Putting Party Saturday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Co-founder Justus Robinson sends a disc sailing toward the goal during the Matt Newlon Memorial Stadium Field Putting Party Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Josh Harmon goes to collect his disc after scoring a goal during the Matt Newlon Memorial Stadium Field Putting Party Tournament Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
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PARKERSBURG -- A disc golf tournament at Parkersburg High School’s Stadium Field raised $2,500 Saturday to support the Humane Society and help Parkersburg High School students while honoring a friend who helped inspire the event.
The fifth edition of the tournament, named the Matt Newlon Memorial Stadium Field Putting Party, featured an 18-hole course across the PHS campus, with nine holes inside the stadium and nine outside. The tournament featured three categories: Women’s, Men’s and Junior.
Tournament co-director Justus Robinson estimated about 65 people attended, including participants and volunteers.
"After some last-minute donations, it ended up being rounded up to $2,500," he said.
About $350 will go to the Parkersburg High School care closet to purchase clothing for students who need it, Robinson said. The remaining money will benefit the Humane Society of Parkersburg.
This year's tournament honored Newlon, who died of stomach cancer at age 35. Robinson said Newlon introduced him to a disc golf tournament at Marshall University in Huntington that inspired the local event.
"He's the one that told me about the tournament in Huntington that got us thinking at that event … this would be something fun for us to do," Robinson said.
Robinson and his friends developed the Stadium Field tournament after attending the Huntington event. The first tournament raised money for their PHS club, and subsequent events supported other organizations, he said.
The Humane Society had benefited from a previous tournament. After Newlon's death, organizers decided to support the organization again and hold the event on Halloween.
"After Matt passed, we thought it would be fitting to do it on Halloween because he loves Halloween," Robinson said.
The Humane Society was scheduled to bring animals to the event around noon, and Jimmy Avocado’s brought a food truck to serve lunch.
The top two places in each category received recognition.
Women:
* First – Samantha Drobina
* Second – Andrea Newlon
Men:
* First – Stephen Timinskas
* Second – Alec Holbert
Junior:
* First – Drey Perkins
* Second – Gwynavere Westbrook
Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com.