CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Men and women carrying golf clubs around Downtown Clarksville Friday weren’t looking for trouble. They were looking for their ball in the first BIG Birdie Ball Tournament, an urban golf event through the streets of downtown to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarksville.

The organization mapped out a 9-hole course with holes wrapping around the Historic Montgomery County Courthouse and squeezing through parking lots. Players used a special ball, called a Birdie Ball, which has a limited flight path and low ball speed causing it to bounce harmlessly off objects. Because of the design, players can hit the ball just like a normal golf ball, and then follow up with another shot just a few dozen yards away. The event raised more than $3,200 for the organization.

“On a daily basis, Big Brothers Big Sisters introduces children to new experiences through the friendship and encouragement of a mentor who can show a young person possibilities he or she never knew existed,” said Chris Buerck, executive director of the local agency. “Introducing other community members to something new and different fits right in with our work.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarksville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to provide youth facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one mentors who change their lives for the better, forever. The agency has been in Clarksville since 1975.

“The staff at BBBS has been working hard to serve the community in a responsible way. The agency has made more matches in the past six months than in all of 2017, and that pace is not slowing down. We’re very proud of the direction the organization is headed,” said Kimberly Miller, US Bank branch manager and BBBS board president. “Financial support from the community helps Big Brothers Big Sisters ensure strong and safe mentoring relationships to clear a path for success for children in Montgomery County.”

To learn how to become involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, email info@bbbsclarksville.org or call 931-647-1418.