September, 2025

Fundraising Record Smashed for Roatan’s Kids

What a day on the greens! Our 9th Annual Sun Divers Charity Golf Tournament, held September 20, 2025 at the Black Pearl Golf Course at Pristine Bay was nothing short of incredible.

This community keeps showing up with big hearts and great swings, and we’re blown away by the generosity of our golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and friends. Every mulligan, raffle ticket, and high-five helped push us past our goal and straight into the record books!

Together,  we raised a record-breaking $24,000 for the SOL International Foundation.

This year’s event featured over $6,000 in prizes, including a 50/50 raffle and an auctioned stay at the Kimpton Grand Roatan. On the green, golfer vibes were kept high with three awesome hole experiences: San Simon Beach Club brought the brunch serving up tuna tartar tacos and Aperol spritzes.  Golfers could “Beat the Brewer” on the Roatan Island Brewing Co., which was basically code for sharing a Latin Lager or Arnold Palmer Spritzer (yum!).  And a true highlight was having the SOL kids themselves out there serving up chicken wraps and energy snacks made by the Junior Chefs.

Let’s Celebrate our Champions

We saw some serious skills (and plenty of fun) out on the course. Congratulations to our winners:

• First Place: Aaron Etches, Desi Ortiz, Jared Lander, Tim Dolan

• Second Place: Adrian Collins, Erick Galindo, Jay Hinds, Matheus Hynds

• Third Place: Bruce McPhillips, Cecil Woods, Hugo Cuello, Terry Morrison

• Top Ladies Team: Cindy Carter, Gail Hall, Loren Welbourn, Tracey Kaltenbacher

• Men’s Longest Drive: Bruce McPhillips & Rob Rhorer

• Women’s Longest Drive: Cara Dunbar & Loren Welbourn
• Closest to the Pin: Jared Lander, Jay Jeter, Rick Gary, Roxana Pineda

But Let’s Talk About our True Winners

All proceeds from the tournament benefit SOL International Foundation’s programs — including Happy Tummies, a daily nutrition program providing more than 1,000 meals per week to Roatan’s children. For many kids, this is the only reliable, nutritious meal they receive each day. Beyond nutrition, the SOL Community Center in Sandy Bay offers a safe space for kids to grow and have access to tutoring, mentorship, counseling, after-school support, sports programs and scholarships — a real lifeline for local families.

By teeing up and giving back, our golfers aren’t just playing a round. They’re helping make sure island kids can grow, learn, and thrive.

Thank You to Our Sponsors & Volunteers

This record-breaking year wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible sponsors, volunteers, and staff. You made the day seamless, fun and full of awesome surprises and prizes. We’re so grateful for your time, energy, and donations. Check out the full line up of this year’s supporters below. 

Up Next: Golden Buoy & Dive Shop Olympics

The Golden Buoy is proudly hanging at Sun Divers and we’re hoping that this year’s tournament and fundraising efforts will help us keep it there. It’s not just a trophy. It’s a symbol of what’s possible when a community like our dive tribe come together. Read about the history of the Golden Buoy.

Golden Buoy winners will be announced at this year’s Dive Shop Olympics — and you know Team Sun Divers is getting pumped!

Want to see how we stack up at the Dive Shop Olympics and whether we keep the Golden Buoy? Follow us on Instagram + Facebook for all the action!