Mike CookFor the Las Cruces Bulletin
The General Federation of Women’s Club Progress Club of Las Cruces raised almost $60,000 during its 11th annual fundraising golf tournament held Oct. 4 at Picacho Hills Country Club.
“This is what we do,” said Progress Club President Chayo Garcia. “All of the hundreds of hours spent by volunteers on this tournament and the amazing donations made by so many businesses and individuals enable us to do what we do best…donate to local organizations to better our community.”
After paying the event’s expenses, about $52,000 will be available for donation to local nonprofits, said tournament co-chair Anna Kittleson.
During the tournament awards dinner, donations of $5,000 each were made to Wee Warriors and Make a Wish New Mexico, and $2,000 to Rio Grande Honor Flight. Other charities that will receive donations during the year include La Casa, Inc. domestic violence program; La Piñon Sexual Assault Recovery Services; Hope to Dream, which provides free beds to local children in need; the Aaron Gifford Pickleball Benefit Inc., which assists military veterans with PTSD; the Mayor’s Top Teens Program; two scholarships to students at New Mexico State University and one to a student at Doña Ana Community College; Stand Down for Veterans; Borderland Arts Foundation; the Asombro Institute; and Camp Enchantment for children dealing with cancer.
The 2025 tournament had 70 participating golfers. The tournament had six major sponsors: platinum (Cavill & Company), gold (Metal Craft and Maria Elena and Arturo Jurado) and silver (Viva Toyota, Bank of the Southwest and Household Furniture). There were more than 50 hole sponsors, eight dinner sponsors, four cart sponsors and four vendors with tents on site during the tournament. It also received nearly two dozen cash donations totaling more than $5,000.
“Once again the GFWC Progress Club of Las Cruces has proved their commitment to our community with a spectacular golf tournament that exceeded all expectations – again,” said the tournament’s lead sponsor, Ron Cavill, of Cavill & Company of Las Cruces. “I am proud and honored to be a part of this amazing organization for the last six major fundraisers.”
“We are honored to have Cavill and Company as our title sponsor,” said Progress Club President-elect Mary Wilke. “Ron Cavill is the most giving individual and a gift to our community. We are just one charity where he selflessly gives of his time and money. We all thank Ron for his many contributions.”
The nonprofit Progress Club is “a women’s organization committed to improving our community by living the volunteer spirit,” said golf tournament co-chair Carla Anderson. “We sponsor fundraisers annually to accomplish our volunteer initiative of donating to worthy local causes. The club makes donations to benefit veterans, scholarships for college students, arts and culture in the community, as well as civic engagement and outreach, education and libraries, the environment and health and wellness,” she said.
The Progress Club was founded in 1915 in Las Cruces and is the largest GFWC club in New Mexico.
For more information about joining or donating to the club, contact Shyla Newton at 209-769-6358 or [email protected]. Visit gfwc.org and gfwcnm.com.