The First Tee announced Matthew Lemke, 17, of The First Tee of Greater Seattle, and Christine Thrift, 16, from The First Tee of Fort Smith, Arkansas, as the 2007 RBS Achievers of the Year. The finalists were announced during an awards ceremony in Philadelphia, Pa. on Aug. 9. RBS will donate a $10,000 scholarship to each recipient to be used toward future education. National Trustees RBS and Golf Digest Publications joined forces with The First Tee to present the fourth annual RBS Achievers of the Year Awards.
Lemke and Thrift were among 14 semi-finalists from The First Tee facilities worldwide who were selected as RBS Achievers of the Year. Twelve semi-finalists, six girls and six boys, each received a $1,000 scholarship to fund future education courtesy of RBS. Click here to view the complete list of RBS Achievers of the Year.
Matthew Lemke is a participant at The First Tee of Greater Seattle. He suffers from Tourette Syndrome and overcomes physical and communication difficulties on a daily basis. When he first joined The First Tee in 2003, he was distracted, self-conscious about his disorder and easily irritated. Through focus and four years with the program, Lemke has become comfortable and relaxed. He maintains a 3.7 GPA and is a star athlete. As an outstanding citizen and ambassador for The First Tee, he recently spearheaded the renovation of a vacant lot into a neighborhood park.
Christine Thrift has been a participant at The First Tee of Fort Smith for six years. She is Ace-certified (highest level of achievement within the Life Skills Education) and a volunteer and mentor to younger girls at her Chapter and in her community. Her leadership led to the first girl’s golf team at her high school and the creation of a junior golf program for middle school girls. She has received countless accolades for her athletic ability and community involvement. Delivering gifts to the elderly, organizing book drives for children at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, reading to daycare children and working with the Boys Shelter are some of the ways Thrift volunteers her time. She does all this despite suffering from Junior Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). The debilitating disease has spread throughout her body and forced her to quit all sport and spirit squads, except for golf. She endures weekly injections of chemotherapy, quarterly visits to Children’s Hospital and the trepidation of hip replacement in her future. Christine remains upbeat and embodies The First Tee Nine Core Values.
The RBS Achievers of the Year Awards recognize outstanding participants for succeeding in school and their daily lives as a result of their experience with The First Tee. The program goal is to positively impact youth by rewarding selected participants for exemplifying one or more of The First Tee Nine Core Values by demonstrating leadership, community service, teamwork, overcoming obstacles and improving school grades and attitude. The First Tee Nine Core Values are honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment.
Since RBS became a Premier Corporate Partner and National Trustee of The First Tee in 2004, RBS has activated several programs to further the mission of The First Tee. The award-winning RBS/The First Tee Mentor Program began in 2005 and pairs participants of The First Tee with RBS employees who are interested in making a difference in a young person’s life.
RBS has been a supporter of the game of golf for over 100 years, through its association with The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and The Open Championship.