On Friday, August 27, the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department held its annual Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)/Citgo Golf Tournament at Historic Bowden Golf Course. About 100 people participated in this charity that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for MDA over the years. 

The tournament was composed of a 4-man scramble with two different flights. Each player paid $65 for either morning or afternoon flights, or $100 for both. Organizations were also able to sponsor different holes and teams. Each dollar is contributed to MDA, a nonprofit agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related diseases. This nonprofit means a lot to the Fire Department, especially Battalion Chief Jeff Sanders. 

“I’ve been a firefighter for almost 35 years, and I’ve been playing in this tournament since I joined the fire department,” said Battalion Chief Sanders. “A few years after I joined, we had our son Brandon, and he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. This tournament got special to me then.” 

“Brandon was 5 years old when he was diagnosed,” said Battalion Chief Sanders’ wife Kim Sanders. “The Fire Department has helped us so much. They built us a ramp, helped us pay for our first handicap van, and have always looked out for us.”   

This was the last tournament Battalion Chief Sanders participated in before his retirement, but he says he plans to still participate in some way for years to come.  

“It’s awesome to see all of our firefighters come together and share this camaraderie. We love competition! So supporting this great cause on the golf course is wonderful,” said Interim Chief Shane Edwards. 

The MBCFD is in the process of tallying how much was raised for MDA.