Circus atmosphere greets golfers at 20th annual Phil Galvano Golf Classic

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Very few -- if any -- golf tournaments start with a man getting shot out of a cannon.

For the 20th annual Phil Galvano Golf Classic benefitting Manatee County schoolchildren, organizers really wanted to start with a bang.

"We wanted to make it extra special, although it's always special," state Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said Friday morning as circus performers and golfers mingled at the Legacy Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch before the cannon shot. "Anybody who comes to this tournament once can't wait to come back."

This year, 36 teams raised $350,000 for the Manatee Education Foundation, a nonprofit that benefits the Manatee County School District. The tournament honors Galvano's father, Phil Galvano, who was a "golf professional to the stars" and worked with personalities including Bob Hope, Carol Burnett and Johnny Carson. To celebrate 20 years of tournaments, organizers partnered with Circus Sarasota and the Circus Arts Conservatory to bring the circus atmosphere to the golf course. Mimes, contortionists, jugglers and acrobats entertained the crowd before the 12:30 p.m. cannon shot.

In the first year, the fundraiser brought in $11,000. Twenty years later, the number has jumped to $350,000. It's a testament to the care and organization that goes into the event, Manatee Education Foundation Executive Director Mary Glass said.

"We've got a great team working together," she said.

The money is used on a number of different projects throughout the year, Glass said, including classroom grants for teachers. Sometimes, special requests come in through the year that the district isn't able to fund, such as helping send teams to Odyssey of the Mind competitions.

"There's so many requests, and we try to help when we can," Glass said.

The money pulled in by the fundraiser and doled out by the foundation gives Manatee County students and teachers an advantage, Galvano said. The money provides additional opportunities and experiences students wouldn't have otherwise.

And that makes a big difference, Superintendent Diana Greene said. Last year, the foundation gave out more than 400 classroom grants to teachers.

"We wanted to continue that same level of giving back to the classroom," she said.

Last year, Greene attended as a supporter. This year, she and her husband, James, headed out in a cart to take on the course themselves.

"I'm excited," she said.

Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter@MeghinDelaney.

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Circus atmosphere greets golfers at 20th annual Phil Galvano Golf Classic ."