The Causes

Thanks to the tremendous support of our Sponsors and Golfers over the years, this year the Derwood Open will support several great causes:

Appalachia Service Project

Every year 15,000 volunteers travel to rural central Appalachia to take part in the Appalachia Service Project (ASP), fixing up homes for low income families.  For nearly 40 years, the youth and college students of Mill Creek Parish have been among them - not only helping the families there, but providing an opportunity for service and growth for the volunteers themselves.   Though living conditions for the work teams are, to say the least, austere, sending over 40 youth and adults on such a journey takes money for gas, food, shelter and building supplies.  Funds from the Derwood Open will help defray the cost of  this year's journey to take part in the Appalachia Service Project.  Find out more about ASP here or in this New York Times article.

Group Workcamps Home Repair

At these camps, the middle and senior high youth of Mill Creek Parish come together to serve individuals and communities while building strong, long-lasting relationships with their friends and youth leaders. These trips give youth groups a chance to serve community residents in need through home repair, basic construction, and painting. They'll build relationships with their crew and those they serve. General home repair projects can include porch and ramp repair, wheelchair ramp construction, indoor and outdoor painting.

Camp Hope

Camp Hope gives children who have one or both parents incarcerated a break from cycles where children of incarcerated parents are seven times more likely to become negatively involved with the criminal justice system. The camps includes daily activities such as swimming, games, archery, tubing, a climbing wall, boating, nature study, Bible study, worship, singing, high ropes and loads of fun! Camp Hope is a ministry partnership between Onesimus Human Resource Development, Inc; Retreat and Camping Ministries of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church; the Board of Child Care; and the Montgomery County Correctional Facility to provide children who have an incarcerated parent a week of summer camp.

Pivot Basketball Camp

Pivot basketball camps provide a week of summer camp for underserved middle and high school kids. Serious basketball skills and competition become the backdrop for leadership development and community building at the West River Camping and Retreat Center.