GoochlandCares golf tournament raises more than $172,000 for local aid

GoochlandCares turned its fifth annual golf tournament into more than a day on the fairway. The nonprofit said the event at The Federal Club Golf Course on April 13 raised more than $172,000, money that will support food, health care and emergency assistance for county residents who rely on its services.

The total matters because GoochlandCares is not a single-program charity. The organization says it has been a community safety net since 1952, and it now operates 12 programs that include a food pantry, medical care, mental health care, dental care, transportation, case management, financial assistance and tax preparation, critical home repair, emergency housing, and domestic and sexual violence services. GoochlandCares said the tournament drew support from more than 100 business sponsors, with Performance Food Group serving as presenting sponsor.

That fundraising base comes at a time when demand remains high. GoochlandCares said its food pantry is currently serving more than 365 families each week and provided more than 740,000 meals in 2025. In 2024, the pantry was serving 350 to 375 families weekly; in 2022, it was serving 225 families weekly and had provided 429,593 meals for the year. The numbers show a nonprofit that has had to scale quickly as more households turn to it for help.

One practical example is the pantry itself. GoochlandCares has added a new walk-in cooler capable of holding 20,000 pounds of fresh produce, a capacity that helps keep food moving to local families who need it now, not later. The group also expanded its mental health care program and added an additional full-time dental hygienist, underscoring that the need goes well beyond groceries alone.

The golf tournament’s financial impact also outpaced last year’s event. GoochlandCares said the 2024 tournament raised more than $150,000, putting this year’s total at least $22,000 higher. That growth arrives as the organization also honors its own history: Sally Graham retired after nearly 25 years leading GoochlandCares, and the nonprofit later established the $1.1 million Sally Graham Fund for the Future to help maintain its campus.

For Goochland County, the tournament’s real value is not on the scorecard. It is in the meals, appointments, rides and emergency help that the money will keep funding for neighbors who need a safety net right now.