Lorain County Community College Foundation’s annual Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Benefit was back in full swing Aug. 12 at Elyria Country Club, 41625 Oberlin Elyria Road in Elyria.

The 34th annual golf outing was complete with guest appearances from a few local legends.

The annual benefit’s funds go directly toward the college’s Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Endowment Fund, according to LCCC Foundation Scholarship Committee co-chair Don Knechtges.

In its first 34 years, the fund has given away more than $1.3 million, Knechtges said.

“I’ve been on the foundation board since the early 1990s, 1991, (and I was) chair of the board for a number of years in the late ’90s,” he said. “But, I’ve been on the golf committee since its inception.”

Founded in 1989 by Judge Joe Cirigliano, the scholarship fund stemmed from his relationship with golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

Cirigliano originally met the 18-time major tournament champion in Florida, and the rest was history, according to Knechtges.

The college is grateful for Nicklaus’ continued sponsorship and recognizes that his name recognition plays a large part in the event’s success, Knechtges said.

“They had a personal relationship,” he said. “And, I’ve been a part of this event since its inception.”

Kent Hageman, a wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley, has helped to co-chair the event along with Knechtges and Todd Sommer.

One of the main goals each year is to entice community members to come out and enjoy a round of golf with some famous faces, Hageman said.

“(Having) Jack Nicklaus, absolutely, it’s a huge endorsement by his family,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of good players, though. Phil Mickelson, Chi-Chi Rodriguez who just passed away, Lee Trevino… It’s a great event.”

This year’s cast of athletes included golf television personality Jimmy Hanlin and former Cleveland Browns cornerback Hanford Dixon, noted for coining the team’s Dawg Pound nickname.

The outing also was the site of the newest episode of “The Pin Shot,” one of Hanlin’s national golf television shows.

The show will air across the country for the next year, according to Knechtges.

“We try to do something different every year,” Knechtges said. “Last year, we had Mike Hargrove, Rick Manning, Campy Russell and Austin Carr.

“We had each one of those on a par three. This year, we have Jimmy Hanlin and the ‘Pin Shot’ show, which will be shown now across the country.”

The scholarship is perhaps more important now than ever before, Dixon said.

He stressed how crucial these funds can be, especially for students from low-income families.

“Any time you’ve got a chance to do something that’s good for kids, you want to be a part of it, and it’s also the golf, too,” Dixon said. “To help them with their education, that’s the most important thing.

“It’s amazing how much it costs a day to send a kid to school to get a degree.”

The scholarship has become one of the largest endowed funds in the foundation’s system, according to Knechtges.

Out of over 200 endowed scholarships events, he said the outing is one of the most lucrative — and certainly the most fun to watch.

“I’ve chaired (with Hageman and Sommer) for the last four years, and it’s been a delight to do that because of the impact the event has had,” Knechtges said. “The scholarship) is now at $1.8 million endowed, and over the 34 years, the fund has also supplied more than $1.3 million in scholarship aid.

“It’s very special.”

Brewer-Garrett Co., an energy services and mechanical systems company, was the presenting sponsor of this year’s golf outing.