But what I do know about golf is that without this wonderful pastime, the Eblen Foundation and now the Eblen Charities may never have come to pass, and most certainly I am convinced that the hundreds of thousands of families whose lives we have been fortunate to touch may have not been assisted without the challenge and fascination of putting that little white ball into a hole in the ground.

And this is where it all began, even before our initial yard sale that brought us the $400 that began our outreach.  It was the first two Eblen Cystic Fibrosis Golf Classics that set us on this unbelievable journey. But golf was just the vehicle that put us on this path. It was the courage, vision, and love for our community of Joe Eblen, Milo Garren, Joe Ward, Harry Giezentanner, Jamie Blue, Lyle West, Guy Roberts and a small group of others that took an idea for a small fundraiser in May of 1990 that has become an organization that brings so many together to reach out to so many who cannot find help elsewhere in their times of need.

How this all began was simple enough. It began with a casual question to Milo Garren about putting on a golf tournament. I thought we would talk about the idea for a few months and then maybe get a committee together to see about getting started. But Milo picked up the phone and started calling his friends and golfing buddies and within the week we were meeting about the tournament.

After a few weeks, we met with a local golf pro who listened to our idea, and after a moment of thought suggested that we abandon our idea. He told us that there were too many tournaments around (at that time, I think there was around twenty) and that we had no idea what we were doing (which was probably true), but we decided to forge ahead regardless of the sage advice we had received.

To make our tournament different from those already established, we thought of making it a celebrity tournament, with the only draw back being no one on the committee knew any celebrities that we could invite. A hopeful call to former world heavyweight wrestling champion Rick Steamboat, answered by another former world champion Abe Jacobs, and George Scott brought in our early           celebrities which included Roman Gabriel, James “Bonecrusher” Smith, Alvin Dark, Gil Coan, and numerous others local and national celebrities.

In looking for a sponsor the committee paid a visit to local businessman and community leader Joe Eblen, owner and president of the Biltmore Oil Company, who graciously agreed to sponsor the event and the rest, as they say, is history.

I am certain that in those early days of 1990, none of those involved in putting together this first tournament had an inkling of what was to lay in store for our community because of it. We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to these early “pioneers” on the Eblen Golf Committee who decided not to follow conventional wisdom in creating another golf tournament in what was considered to be an already crowded field. What has grown from it has been no less than remarkable and  the work that was spawned from it has touched countless lives and has allowed so many children, adults,and families a chance to breathe a bit easier.

May. 1, 2012

ASHEVILLE — Life o’ Mike will present its first Michael T. Danforth Community Service Award to Joe Eblen at a luncheon, 1-3 p.m. June 8, in the Friendship Hall of First Congregational Church, 14 Oak St.

Joe Eblen coached and officiated at children’s football games and other sports for more than 60 years and in 1991 founded Eblen Charities, one of the largest and most successful nonprofits in the region.

“He wanted to be sure we didn’t say no to anybody,” said William Murdock, executive director of Eblen Charities since its founding. “That was the most important thing to him. He didn’t want red tape; he wanted to help people in need.”

Although Eblen administers some government programs, its own programs still strive to help everyone who comes to the door.

In the beginning, Murdock said, Eblen offered office space and his family name, well known in the community. When Murdock approached Eblen with the idea of a nonprofit that could help people with medical needs, Eblen jumped at the chance.

Life o’ Mike founder and director, Leslie Boyd, said the choice of Eblen as the first recipient of the Community Service Award was an easy one.

“Mike devoted his life to helping people who needed it,” she said. “We want to encourage that spirit, and Joe Eblen has a lifelong history of caring and giving to his community. We couldn’t think of anyone who deserves this more.”

Tickets to the luncheon are $25. For information or to purchase tickets, e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com or call 828-243-6712

This Tuesday sixty teams from western North Carolina will join Super Bowl XXXVII Champion Quarterback Brad Johnson and other celebrities as they “tee it up” to benefit the outreach programs of  Eblen Charities.

The 23rd Annual Verizon Wireless  Brad Johnson Celebrity Golf Classic will again take to the links for the seventh consecutive year at the renowned Jack Nicklaus signature course at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove with two shotgun starts.

The  Nike morning round begins at 8:00 AM and the Pepsi afternoon round at 2:00 PM.

Breakfast will be hosted by McDonald’s with lunch for all participants complements of Arby’s.

Following the afternoon round, Texas Roadhouse will be hosting the post-tournament dinner and awards ceremony at the Cliffs

Tavern. The festivities began last Friday night at the Grove Park Inn Night of the Legends Auction and will continue with the  Travinia Sponsor / Celebrity Reception Reception on Monday night at the Travinia Italian Kitchen in Biltmore Park.

Thanks  to Brad the tournament has grown since its inception from a 20 team afternoon event to a three day event fielding more than 60 teams in a morning round and afternoon round.

Other celebrities joining Brad this year include Duke University basketball legend Steve Vacendak, World Series Champion Pitcher Darren Holmes, Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphin Karl Noonan, County Commissioner Ray Bailey,  and world wrestling champions Abe Jacobs, Renee Goulet, and Jimmy Garvin, as well as popular sportscaster Stan Pamfillis, WLOS-V General Manager Jack Connors, and Clear Channel radio personalities Brian Hall, Brian Hatfield, Mike Morgan, Charleston Post Currier columnist and editor Mike Mooneyham and Citizen-Times sportswriter Keith Jarrett.

“I always look forward to this time of year, coming back to Asheville, and being able to be part of this wonderful event,” says Brad.  “I get a chance to see my old friends, family, coaches and team-mates from Owen. But most of all, it’s coming back home and joining Eblen Charities, Verizon Wireless and all the sponsors, teams, and their  outreach that touches so many children, adults, and families in their times of need here at home. I have yet to see a more effective  organization anywhere than Eblen. It is great honor for me be be part of their outreach and serve as honorary chairman.”

“This event is more than the Charities and Brad’s signature event. It is where the charities started and everything we have done, the countless lives that have been touched throughout these two decades would not have happened if it hadn’t been for the first tournament in 1990. Without Milo Garren, Joe Ward, Harry Giezentanner, Jamie Blue, Guy Rob- erts, Lyle West, Steve Whittington, and the others in the early years, the work of the Eblen Charities may have never begun,” remarks Bill Murdock, executive director of Eblen Charities.

Nike will again be joining us as a major sponsor of the tournament and will be providing the tee gifts to all the golfers. The Ingles Markets Corporate Village will also return on the course where our corporate sponsors and partners will be featured.

Our heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors, teams, volunteers, and committee members for joining us again this year and contributing to the tournament’s success and growth through out the years.

Thanks also to Paul Henriksen and his staff at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove whose hard work and kindness make our tournament one of the most popular tournaments in western North Carolina. Their professionalism and attention to detail have made Walnut Cove one of the most sought after venues anywhere in the world.

For more information on the Verizon Wireless / Brad Johnson Celebrity Golf Classic or this weeks tour- nament schedule, please contact Bill Murdock at 828-242-2848 or at eblenfound@aol.com.

“If you are preoccupied with people who are talking about the poor, you scarcely have time to talk to the poor. Some people talk about hunger but they don’t come and say “Mother, here is five Rupees, buy food for these people.” But they can give a beautiful lecture on hunger.”

“I had the most extraordinary experience once in Bombay.  There was a big conference about hunger. I was supposed to go to that meeting and I lost the way. Suddenly I came to that place, and right in front of the door to where hundreds of people were talking about food and hunger, I found a dying man. I took him out and I took him home.

He died there. He died of hunger.

And the people inside were talking about how in 15 years we will have so much food, so much this, so much that, and that man died.  See the difference?”

Talking excessively, endless meetings and conferences are luxuries that those we serve cannot afford. Hunger, sickness, eviction, and loneliness have no heart and  will not wait. While so many of us talk how to win the war, those on the front line are losing battles every day.

There have been times that we has been criticized for not doing feasibility studies or a needs assessment before we enter a new outreach, partnership, or program. But we do a needs assessment every time we answer the phone or talk to a client. We don’t spend a lot of time studying those who come to us seeking help or a lot of money in analyzing why there are here.  We simply ask “What do you need? How can we help?”  They know much better than we do about what they need. We are there to serve them as quickly and kindly as possible. This seems like the most effective and economical way to assess our community’s needs.

Our gratitude goes out once again to all those who allow us to serve, to all of our partners, and to all who have joined us in reaching out and touching the lives of so many in times of need here at home.

It is thanks to all of you that we not only see the difference, we can help make a difference to those who are suffering.

Last year, we assisted more than 6,000 families with utilities including heating, electricity, and water assistance.  We also assisted more than 1,700 families who were in danger of being evicted through our various outreaches including the Neal Hanks, Sr. Memorial Rental and Mortgage Assistance Outreach, Emergency Assistance, Emergency Outreach, Crisis Intervention Program, and others.

It is no surprise in these troubled times that needs continue to increase and it is the most basic needs that quickly come to the forefront. Each week we are also seeing dozens of families we have never worked with before and who thought they would never have to call upon us for help.

As the needs grow and funds become more and more difficult to obtain, our obligation and resolve only grow stronger as  Eblen Charities continues to address and assist a large number of the basic and emergency needs in our community.   Seeing a rise in requests for assistance for basic and emergency needs during the past years,  Eblen Charities continues to seek out families in need as well as new outreaches,  partners,  and  strategic alliances to better serve those who are less fortunate.

Below are some of the numbers of families we have assisted  last year. Please note that these are just some of our outreaches and the total assistance reported at the end of the column includes all instances of assistance given from all of our outreaches in that given year.

Clothing Assistance               7,442

Dental Assistance           3,233

Electric Assistance                3,890

Food Assistance                     1,699

Meals Provided         73,520

Heating Assistance                1,843

Housing Assistance                1,710

Medical Assistance           1,559

Travel Assistance                     3141

Water Assistance                      355

Total Assistance                      342,670

With warmer temperatures it is easy to forget about the heating and utility assistance needs of so many of our neighbors that we are so mindful of during our usual frigid winter months.

But we all must take care to remember that the winter months, no matter how warm, still has its colder mornings and evenings for some our most vulnerable clients,  and that the assistance they are in need of is every bit as important as in the past few years.

We at Eblen haven’t forgotten that and neither have the wonderful folks at Gorilla Car Wash and the Grovewood Arcade. Thanks to their kindness and efforts nearly $10,000 was raised this past month to help us ensure that so many of those we serve will be able to keep their lights and power on in their homes for themselves, their children and their families.

On April 17th we joined April and Brian Blakey at Gorilla Car Wash on Patton Avenue, Airport Road and their new location on Tunnel Road for the seventh annual “Clean Up to Heat Up”  as they generously donated all the proceeds from the day to the Eblen Energy Project.  Nearly 1,100 cars were washed and more than $6,400 was raised.

Also this month thanks to Ashley Van Matre and the wonderful shops at the Grovewood Gallery (located next to the Grove Park Inn) raised nearly $3,500 in their Annual Charity Sale to assist the Eblen Energy Project as well.

Thanks again to these wonderful friends and partners who care so much for those less fortunate in their  difficult times. Their kindness and generosity will not be forgotten.

Asheville Report Card Gives an “A” to Gorilla Car Wash

Asheville Citizen-Times Apr. 19, 2012

The Report Card issues grades A through F, and incompletes where necessary, to a variety of news items.

A to Gorilla Car Wash for its annual event to raise funds for the Eblen Foundation wherein customers earlier this week were able to get a free carwash at its locations with a donation to Eblen.

It is even a greater honor for us all to have been asked to be part of presenting Lou’s award.  Each year, the award is given to an individual that exemplifies the spirit and innovation of the Eblen Charities and the Center for Social Enterprise and who reaches out to those in need, exemplifying  the attributes that athletics in the sport of wrestling personify.

Both Lou Thesz and Dan Gable need no introduction.    Lou forged a career that was unequaled by any athlete in any sport. Winning the world heavyweight championship at 21, Lou held the title six times for a total of 13 years (a record that still stands today). Lou is the only man to have wrestled in seven different decades,  was the oldest and the youngest champion on record, and the first champion to defend his title outside of North America.

Dan Gable’s career is unparalleled in the annals of sports. During his prep and college careers, Gable compiled an unbelievable record of 182-1. He was undefeated in 64 prep matches, and was 118-1 at  Iowa State. After college, Gable added titles at the 1971 Pan American Games, the 1972 Tbilisi Tournament in Russia, the 1971 world championship, and the Olympic Gold Medal in 1972. As the University of Iowa’s all-time winning wrestling coach, Gable has coached many United States teams in international freestyle competition. He is a three-time Olympic head coach (1980, 1984 and 2000) and has been featured on ESPN’s Greatest Athletes of the Century.

The award that bears Lou’s  name was established not to honor Lou Thesz the wrestler, but Lou Thesz the man. There are a number of awards that are given in his name that reflect what is done in the ring, but this award reflects the type of man that Lou was and the values that he held dear.

Lou and his wonderful wife Charlie have been friends of the work of Eblen Charities for years. They participated every year in the Brad Johnson Celebrity Golf Classic and became a vital part of the heart of Eblen. Lou passed away on April 28th 2002 at the age of 86.

Because of who Lou was and more importantly, who Lou and Charlie were and are to all of us involved with Eblen Charities, is what makes this so special for us to share in the presenting of the award that is such a large part of two great champions.

Congratulations to this year’s honoree, John Layfield (pictured above) for his unselfish work on behalf of the children of Bermuda and the wonderful work of the Family Center and for all those less fortunate. It is an honor to know him and for him to receive this fifth annual Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award.

This year, the day long event will be broadcast from Atlanta and will feature eleven of the world’s most influential leaders including:

Patrick Lencioni: Best-selling author of nine books with nearly three million copies sold, he is also founder and president of The Table Group.

Patrick Lencioni is founder and president of The Table Group, Inc., a specialized management­consulting firm focused on organizational health. Lencioni is the author of nine best­selling books with nearly 3 million copies sold. After several years in print, his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team continues to be a fixture on national best­seller lists. The Three Signs of a Miserable Job became an instant best­seller in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and BusinessWeek, and his latest work, Getting Naked, was released in February 2010.

The Wall Street Journal has named Lencioni one of the most in ­demand business speakers. He has been a keynote speaker on the same ticket with George Bush Sr., Jack Welch, Rudy Guiliani, and General Colin Powell. Lencioni’s work has also been featured in numerous publications such as Businessweek, Fast Company, INC Magazine, USA Today, Fortune, Drucker Foundation’s Leader to Leader, and Harvard Business Review.

Other speakers include: Soledad O’Brien, John Maxwell, Tim Tebow, Angela Ahrendts, Urban Meyer, Andy Stanley, Sheena Inyengar, Roland Fryer, and Marcus Buckingham.

Our thanks to our corporate sponsors for the 2012 Keller Williams / Andrew Institute  Chick-fil-A Leadercast event: Keller Williams Realty, Dewey Andrew, Chick-fil-A, Biltmore Oil, Dixon-Hughes-Goodman, Beverly-Hanks and Associates, Mission Hospital, Rick and Denise Guthy, First Citizens Bank, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, Buncombe County Schools, Applied Solutions, Biltmore Baptist Church, Roger Aiken, Wells Fargo Advisors, David Meyer, Quality Recycling, Walnut Cove Realty, Kimmel and Associates, WLOS -TV, Clear Channel, Park Ridge Health, Simply Home, Rita’s Italian Ice, Take-A-Stand with Matt and  Agnes, Walgreens, Express Employment Professionals, U-Save Car and Truck Rental, Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce, Wilson Art International, Progress Energy,  the Biltmore Company, Dunkin’ Donuts, and A-B Tech.

For more information and to purchase tickets please contact Bill Murdock at 828-242-2848, vis email at eblenfound@aol.com, or visit our website at www.leadercastasheville.com.

It has been ten years since the world lost six-time world heavyweight champion, Lou Thesz. L0u was renowned around the world not only as a great champion but as a gentleman whose heart for others exceeded his unparalleled accomplishments in the ring and in the business world. But as champion, Lou knew and exemplified that the most important thing that any wrestler, athlete, or anyone for that matter could do was take the best of what they learned  that made them successful and use it to reach out and help those who may be less fortunate.

To honor Lou and what he has meant to generations across the world for more than eight decades, the Eblen Center for Social Enterprise is once again joining the National Wresting Hall of Fame / Dan Gable International  Wrestling Institute and the Lou Thesz / George Tragos Hall of Fame in presenting the Sixth Annual Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award to recognize those in the field of public service that have displayed exemplary work in touching the lives of those in times of need.

Five years ago the Eblen Center for Social Enterprise accepted a gracious invitation from Olympic Wrestling Champion, Dan Gable; Lou’s widow, Charlie; and then Institute Director, Mike Chapman in presenting the Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award.  In 2007 Bill Murdock and the Eblen Charities were awarded the inaugural Thesz Award in Waterloo, Iowa.

Considered the ‘Nobel Prize of Wrestling,’ The Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award was established by the Lou Thesz / George Tragos Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007 as  part of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The award is presented  to an individual that has displayed the essentials of the sport of wrestling, skills, courage, and mental toughness and has applied those characteristics to the realm of public service, offering assistance to those throughout the world in need.

The award is named in memory of the legendary wrestling champion, who held the NWA World Title six times in four decades. He passed away on April 28, 2002, at the age of 87.

“Lou loved the Eblen Charities,” said Charlie Thesz, widow of the six-time world heavyweight champion. “He and I have been involved with their work for years and when we decided to establish the award, there was no doubt who the first honoree would be. Lou often said that you judge a wrestler by what’s above the neck, not below. In Lou’s mind, our first recipient, Bill Murdock was the world champion. And that is why we wanted the Eblen Center to be part of the giving of this award each year.  They exemplify all that was and is important to Lou and me”.

This year’s recipient is John Layfield, known in the ring as JBL, one of the most recognized names in professional wrestling, as well as being known as one of the most recognized financial commentators on the air today.

A football All-American at Abilene Christian University, John signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles  Raiders and upon being released played for the  San Antonio Raiders of the World League of American Football. He entered the ring  in 1992 and for the next decade entertained sold out crowds worldwide winning every major title the sport has to offer including the coveted WWE Championship.

His recognition transcends the gridiron and the ring as John is widely known as a business analyst,  has appeared on CNBC and is a financial commentator for the Fox Business Network. John has also turned his focus to outreach to help children in need in various parts of the world and in providing support to the Family Centre in Bermuda that assists children suffering from abuse, neglect, and other emotional challenges.

“The Lou Thesz Award is one of the most important awards we give at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Not only does it represent the spirit of goodwill, but it also represents the spirit of Lou Thesz,”  states Kyle Klingman, director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. “John Layfield is receiving this year’s award and I have learned much about his philanthropic contributions. He is deserving of such an award.”

For more information on the Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award and the Dan Gable International Wresting Institute, please contact Bill Murdock at 828-242-2848 or via email at wmurdock@eblencharities.org, or visit the institute website at www.wrestlingmuseum.org.

In Skyland, North Carolina yesterday,  an honor was bestowed to one who has spent a lifetime and career honoring her students and all who had the good fortune to know her or even meet her for a brief moment.  Those who live in Skyland have a rich history and a heart-felt affection for those who touch their lives as exemplified  by the names that proudly and humbly adorn the schools in south Asheville – TC Roberson High School, the Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School, and the William Estes Elementary School. And on April 15th another name was added with deep affection to the halls of education in Skyland at TC Roberson High School, as the Mathematics Wing was dedicated to Mrs. Rosa Lee Baldwin in honor and gratitude for a career that still resonates in countless lives far beyond  what she may ever had imagined.

A native of Asheville, Rosa Lee Case Baldwin attended Valley Springs High before attending and graduating from Barea College in Kentucky.

Returning to her beloved mountains, Rosa Lee began her teaching career at Valley Springs High School in 1949 teaching mathematics, Latin, English, and social studies until 1955.

After she and her husband Bill began their family, she came back  in 1957 and taught until 1962 when she moved to the new TC Roberson High School. While at Roberson, she served as mathematics department chair for thirty years. Mrs. Baldwin retired in June 1992 after more than four decades in the classroom to enjoy her reading, flowers and family-son Tony, daughter Jan, and grandchildren Lauren, Meredith, Taylor, Garrett, Amy, and great-grandchildren Jack, Chase, Ronnie, John Wesley, Trey, and Aubrey.

I have known Mrs. Baldwin since my freshman year in high school and I have the honor of probably holding the record of being in her class the shortest amount of time of any student that she taught.

My sophomore year, I was taking geometry, as most students did their second year at Roberson. I wasn’t in Mrs. Baldwin’s class, but as second semester came about, I found, much to my dismay, I was transferred into her fourth period geometry class.

I was petrified. And the reason for my paralyzing fear was I barely escaped my former teacher’s class with a C-. I was totally unprepared for what I knew I was in for in Mrs. Baldwin’s class.  I had not memorized any postulates or theorems and to be totally honest, I don’t think I could remember where my geometry book was.

In mathematics terms my chances were approaching negative infinity. Which I am pretty sure was the direction of my grades.

I came into her room in-between classes with my second semester schedule in hand and asked her for permission to drop the class.

She looked at my grades and told me that I could do better and that she would help me if I worked hard. I explained to her that I didn’t understand what I was doing in geometry and I was just lucky that I received a C-.

I remember that Mrs, Baldwin listened patiently but explained to me that even if she was willing to let me drop her class, she couldn’t because for a student to drop a class they had to have received a D or an F and since I had a C- I would be seeing her everyday beginning the next semester.

“No Ma’m,” I remember saying, “the student handbook reads that you can’t drop a class unless you have a D, F, or the teacher’s permission”.  By the way, I believe that was probably the only time I read the student handbook.

I am not sure what it was that changed her mind, but she gently shook her head and signed my drop form.

And please let me say again…. thank you Mrs. Baldwin…. thank you!

So many of her students have said to me throughout the years, that if it hadn’t been for Mrs. Baldwin they would have never gotten out of high school. I am here to say the same. If it hadn’t been for Mrs. Baldwin I would still be in high school. If she hadn’t let me drop her class I would probably be the world’s oldest sophomore.

But what I learned through those subsequent years, I have to say I am so sorry that I didn’t stay in her class. I regret not having her as one of my teachers while at Roberson. I believe I would have understood so much so much earlier. Her class is indeed an experience, through my own fault, sadly, passed me by.

But I do, once again, want to thank Mrs. Baldwin on behalf of all my fellow students at TC Roberson who never were in her class, but nonetheless learned so much from her.

Certainly her influence on the students at Roberson was not solely confined to just those who were fortunate to be in her class but to all of us who come in contact with her,  whether in class, as an advisor, or as a friend, as her impact on the lives of all of us in the Roberson community has gone far beyond her tenure at Roberson and has touched us all. And continues to do so in our children and will certainly touch our children’s children as well.

All teachers have an impact on their student’s lives, but few impact a community and generations as she has. Naming the mathematics wing at TC Roberson High School in her honor for her years of  selfless service to so many honors not only her and her family, but honors us all.

And again, thank you, Mrs. Baldwin, thank you.