Westerville Central golfer Grace Welty is pictured with Principal Tom Lanier, Freedom a la Cart representatives Susan Trianfo and Paula Haines, golf coach Aaron Starkey and Athletic Director Andy Ey.
A high school athlete’s performance typically does not impact the community in a tangible way. Westerville Central High School junior Grace Welty challenged this norm in the fall 2018 golf season by setting out to use her performance to raise money for local survivors of human trafficking.
Before the season began, Welty gathered 31 sponsors to support her goal of raising money for Freedom a la Cart – a nonprofit that brings hope and healing to survivors of human trafficking in Central Ohio through employment opportunities. Each sponsor agreed to donate a certain amount of money for each par Welty achieved during the season. She ended up raising a whopping $4,864.50 for Freedom a la Cart, thanks to 98 pars. Welty presented her check to the organization on November 13.
Executive Director Paula Haines said, “On behalf of Freedom a la Cart, we are filled with gratitude for Grace’s impressive fundraising efforts to bring hope to survivors of human trafficking. Grace put so much heart into this initiative that capitalizes on her outstanding golf talent. We are touched that she worked hard this season to help benefit our mission and raise awareness about human trafficking among her peers.”
Welty said her golf performance was much more meaningful this season, knowing that every par would benefit those affected by human trafficking on the local level. “People living in Central Ohio may not know that human trafficking exists in our community. It was my larger goal to bring awareness to this issue and how organizations like Freedom a la Cart are working to provide sustainable employment to survivors,” she commented. “I am grateful for each sponsor who donated money and am looking forward to continuing this tradition next season for my senior year!”