Mark Croft receives AzCA Friends of Children award

 Mark Croft, director of golf at the Cocopah Bend RV and Golf Resort was recently  presented with the AzCA Friends of Children award for Arizona’s Children Association for outstanding support of the organization and support from the Cocopah Bend RV and Golf Resort during their annual Penny Pitch Golf Tournament fundraising campaign. Croft and the Resort helped to raise over $100,000 on behalf of Arizona’s Children Association.

“Our organization doesn’t give out the Friends of Children award on a routine basis,” said Fred Chaffee, CEO of the Arizona’s Children Association based in Tucson. “This year we presented Mark with our highest honor for his heroic efforts and consistent support throughout the years,” he said.

Yuma area junior golfers have thrived under the tutelage of Mark, a member of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), which also recently honored Croft with the 2009 Junior Golf Leader Award in the Southwest Section PGA.

Since 1987, the Southwest Section PGA has awarded leaders in the area of junior golf with an annual award. Past winners demonstrated involvement in the promotion and development of junior golf at the club level, a proven interest, concern and ability to provide opportunities and experience for juniors to learn and play golf, and were recognized as someone of outstanding character.

“Mark was nominated by a group of his peers,” said David Stead, Chairman of the Southwest Section PGA Awards Committee and Director of Golf at Angel Park Golf Club in Las Vegas. “There were other outstanding candidates, but after the committee reviewed his body of work, Mark was selected as this year’s standout because his interest and passion for junior golf stood above the rest,” he said.

Croft is pleased to be recognized and thanks the Cocopah Tribal Council for its support of the Junior Golf Program at Cocopah Bend RV and Golf Resort.

If you'd like to learn more about Penny Pitch in Yuma, contact Dubia Zaragoza at dzaragoza@arizonaschildren.org