I love golf. It keeps me coming back again and again. It just takes one good shot to bring you back the next time no matter how good or bad you played overall. I take every opportunity to play as often as possible. When weather permits, I play at least a couple times a month.
Enjoying a round of golf on beautiful, green course and the camaraderie amongst friends makes the game a very therapeutic hobby for me. I dream of playing one day on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, one of the oldest courses in the world. That would be some good golf therapy!
Golfing with my friends led to some great stories and memories, too. One time my friend and I made a bet on a par three on who could get it closer to the hole. Whoever lost had two choices: buy dinner or swim across the lake. I won the bet and figured I had a free dinner coming. My friend had other ideas: he jumped into the lake and swam across it!
Golf is such a big part of my life that I jumped at the chance to participate in Tee Up For Trafficking, Beautiful Dream Society’s annual charity golf tournament. There’s no better opportunity to enjoy golfing while standing for a cause I believe in strongly: ending human trafficking.
I began learning about human trafficking a few years ago. I saw an advertisement for a fashion show that benefited a human trafficking organization and I decided to attend. The organization was Beautiful Dream Society. There I learned more about the tragic issue plaguing society today.
Once I discovered the hard and ugly truth about human trafficking, I was heartbroken. I didn’t realize how bad human trafficking was and that it was something that occurred right here in our own backyard!
Not long after that, my girlfriend (now fiancée!) became interested in fighting human trafficking in Oklahoma and I told her about Beautiful Dream Society. She now works with former victims of human sex trafficking in BDS’s Oklahoma City program. She’s also heavily involved as volunteer staff.
As a result, I’ve gotten to know Beautiful Dream Society a lot better and I’m passionate about supporting the organization. I’ve seen up close their work to end modern day slavery in Oklahoma and across the world.
While men cannot work directly with former victims in BDS’s program, we still have a crucial role to play in the cause of ending human trafficking. Spreading the word about human trafficking prevents future victims. Volunteering at events helps things run smoothly. Fundraising for BDS is an enormously important way men can get involved. Participating in events like Tee Up For Trafficking is an easy way to get involved, too!
I hope you golfers out there will join me at Tee Up For Trafficking NEXT Monday, August 24, at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club in Oklahoma City. It’s the perfect opportunity to do something you love on a really nice course while supporting a cause everyone can believe in: the end of human trafficking!
– Dustin Eller