Marianne Ceriani takes a knee after winning a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta at the High Hopes Golf Tournament on July 24, 2017 at Lakewood Country Club. Ceriani is pictured with her teammates, Tangy Buchannan, Nancy Zeries, and Bev Hoffenberg. 

The 9th Annual High Hopes Golf Tournament presented by NexGen Resources was held on July 24th at Lakewood Country Club to benefit The Guild of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. The Guild raises funds for research, promotes diabetes awareness and education, assists families in need, provides continuing education scholarships, and sponsors social activities for children and their families.

Returning golfers and new players enjoyed a beautiful day out on the course, and excitement rocketed when Marianne Ceriani sank a hole-in-one, winning a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta from sponsor, O’Meara Volkswagen. Her hole-in-one was the first in the fundraising tournament’s 9 years.

According to the National Hole-In-One Registry, odds of making a hole-in-one is 1 in 3,500, and only 16% of hole-in-one golfers are women. Ceriani, a resident of Golden, was playing on the only all-female team in the tournament when she made the 173-yarder on the 7th hole of the scramble competition.  There was certainly some “girl power” in the air!

Out on the course, golfers participated in more contest holes and stopped for refreshments at Keaton’s Lemonade Stand, where kids were taking donations for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. To conclude the day, golfers shopped for everything from grills to pampering treatments at the silent auction and enjoyed sips and bites at the awards ceremony. Tournament winners were celebrated with trophies, though many were still eyeing Ceriani’s hole-in-one prize.