Lake Kiowa — Lake Kiowa held its annual Rally for the Cure golf tournaments the first week of October. The event has been held in the Cooke County community since 2001.

Breast cancer survivor LaVona Duryea said the event was organized by resident Yolanda Arronte — a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader who lived in Lake Kiowa.

Arronte eventually lost her own battle with breast cancer but her friends and neighbors have continued to host Rally for the Cure activities each year.

The 2012 Lake Kiowa Rally got off to a good start with the mens’ teams holding their tournament prior to the womens’ tournament.

Brats and beer were served to the men at the Pro Shop.  

The winning team was R.J. Stroup, Craig Lamkin, John Wolek and Jim Cicon.  

Dennis Tocquigny and the golf course employees decorated the golf course with the pink ribbons and pink towels on the tee boxes to the pink flags and cups on the greens.  That night, Lake Kiowa Lodge staff served the women golfers and their guests.  

The Rally Committee has expresssed their appreciation for the outstanding kitchen staff led by Shaun, the wait staff and Lodge manager, Amy Mohan and her assistant Ladina Howard.  

Their attention to all the details made everything run smoothly, participants and organizers said.

The next day the women’s Rally Golf tournament was held with 85 Lake Kiowa women participating.  

The first flight winners were:  1st place - Lorene Nix, Charlotte Winter, Cladene Belcher, Audrene Robison; 2nd place – Carolyn Harper, Sally Grant,  Pat Williams, Peggy Gilmore; 3rd place – Carolyn Pannell, Karen Brewton, Evelyn deLassus, LaNelle Little.  

The second flight winners were: 1st place – Dee Dorman, Sherly Baus, Carole Bitsche, Mary Nel O’Dell; 2nd place – Donna Erwin, Ann LaRue, Barbara Cole, Marcy Titus; 3rd place – Paddy Merolla, Peggy Lewis, LaVona Duryea, Dolly Marek.  

After the tournament lunch and awards, the women released pink balloons of hope into the afternoon sky. For players and organizers the balloon launch was a wonderful ending to a special day for a very good cause.

Since its inception in 2001, the Lake Kiowa Rally for the Cure continues to be one of the top fundraisers for the community.  

Over $500,000 has been raised for research to help find the cure for breast cancer, thanks to the generosity of so many Lake Kiowa residents and the Gainesville business community.  Approximately $44,000 was raised in 2012 to be donated for research to find the cure for breast cancer. The Rally Committee wishes to thank all of our wonderful sponsors, everyone who contributed door prizes, raffle or goody bag items or who volunteered to help.  

Organizers said they want to especially acknowledge the following sponsors:

Platinum Sponsor – First State Bank

Gold Sponsor – Mary and Glenn Polk/ Glenn Polk Autoplex

Silver Sponsors-Best Buy Company – Denton, Tom And Sharon Johnson and Select Energy Services, LLC

Pink Sponsors - Fran Adams,  Advanced Pedestal, Ltd – Pete Shauf, American Bank Of Texas, Al Arronte, Donna Chapman, Doug’s Corner, Jim Goldsworthy, Kiowa Woman’s Club, LKWGA,  Landmark Bank, Lake Kiowa Chapel, Lake Kiowa Realty – Marion Hoeflein, Mike and Donna Erwin, Nascoga Federal Credit Union, North Texas Medical Center, Col. J. Clarke Selman, U.S. Aviation Group – Mark & Linda Taylor and Walmart.