Staff Spotlight: The Wish Granter

What do you get when a passion to give back and a family hobby collide? The Throw with Grace Disc Golf Tournament benefiting Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana. Meet Terry, Programmer Analyst, and wish granter.
 

The why behind the Throw with Grace Disc Golf Tournament is simple, Terry was looking for a way to give back to an organization that made his daughter Grace’s dreams come true. In 2006, Make-A-Wish granted Grace her wish to meet the princesses (especially Cinderella!) with a trip to Disney World! Wanting to give as many families as possible that same opportunity, Throw with Grace was born.
 

“I personally know how receiving a wish can impact a child and their family and am aware that all kids aren’t so lucky,” Terry shared. “The more dreams I can help make true, the better.”

Here’s where disc golf comes in. Out of the blue, Terry’s kids told him they wanted to play disc golf. Little did they know their dad used to play for fun in college. From that point on, hitting the course became a family hobby. The Blecha family’s love of disc golf continued to grow, with Terry joining the local Disc Golf Club board and one son even playing in National Championship Tournaments! (We can attest he’s GOOD after seeing him throw celeb shots at last year’s BHFCU staff event!) 

Having received a wish, Terry’s family receives Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana’s Annual Report, which shares the wishes fulfilled and the number of kids still on the waiting list. (For context, right now, 145 kids in South Dakota and Montana are waiting for their wish.) After playing in Feeding South Dakota’s Ice Bowl Tournament with his son, they had the idea of putting on a fundraising tournament of their own.
 

“In June, we hosted the fourth Throw with Grace Disc Golf Tournament, bringing our fundraising total to just over $28,000,” Terry shared. “With the average wish now costing $10,500, every dollar raised is a step towards making a child’s dream come true.”

The most impressive part of it all is that Terry organizes the tournament mostly on his own. (If we know Terry, he’s going to tell us not to include that part, but it stays!) Over the years, he has amassed sponsor partners who donate a mixture of prizes, food, and funds to make it all happen. Shout out to Qdoba, Builders First Source, Loose and Associates, Haymen and Associates, BHFCU (of course, we’ve got you, Terry!), and more. Volunteers help ensure the event goes off without a hitch each year, and, of course, the tournament participants make it all possible!
 

With participants coming from as far as Sioux Falls and donations reaching as wide as Kansas City, Missouri, the word is out about the good Terry is doing. From making connections with others having similar Make-A-Wish experiences to introducing people to the sport for the first time, Throw with Grace brings people together.
 

“When a wish is granted, it’s so much more than just the wish,” Terry shared with a glimmer in his eye. “The experience gifts the kids and their families a reprieve from the realities of life and fills that time with joy and incredible memories.”

Since its founding in 1985, the Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana chapter has granted over 2,000 wishes. If you’re interested in making a donation to help one of the 145 waiting wishes come true, click here.