O’Fallon Noon Rotary Club golf tournament to honor longtime member Gregory Yank
This year’s golf tournament hosted by the O’Fallon Noon Rotary Club is a special way to honor one of its most outstanding members, chairman Doug Distler said.
The Rotary will honor and recognize Gregory Yank for his devoted years of service — not only for the O’Fallon Noon Rotary Club, but globally, he said.
Yank, a longtime member of the club, died Jan. 5 at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis from complications related to COVID-19. He was 74.
His motto was: “Giving back is the rent we pay for getting to live here.”
“The club decided to use this year’s fundraiser to recognize and honor Greg. He was a person of high integrity, kindness, and generosity who exemplified the Rotary motto of ‘Service above Self.’ He volunteered his time and talents to helping people and communities throughout the world,” Distler said.
The international service organization, which brings together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services and advance goodwill and peace around the world, has three local clubs in O’Fallon.
“He has been a fixture for many years — not just our club, but internationally,” said member Allison Agar.
Yank achieved success in leadership roles on the local level but took on more responsibility beyond O’Fallon. He was a member of the Rotary International Board of Directors and served as Rotary District Governor.
Distler said Yank touched many lives.
“He was an excellent facilitator, and he worked on a lot of community projects. He was just a great guy,” he said. “He was a good communicator. He was always willing to step forward and help.”
The first annual Gregory Yank Memorial Golf Tournament will take place Friday, July 16, at Tamarack Golf Course with a noon shotgun start.
“We’re excited,” Distler said. “The golf tournament will be a fun day of golf with prizes for winning teams and individual contests. Greg was an avid golfer, and he used golf to promote the Rotary.”
Currently, 20 teams have registered, and there is room for more, he said. Players are still welcome to sign up.
“It’s really coming together,” said Distler, who was chairman of the annual O’Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce golf tournament for 20 years and has been a Rotary member for 30 years. “We’ve had great support from the community.”
Distler noted, due to circumstances, the Rotary hasn’t held its tournament for a few years.
“Last year, we didn’t have it because of COVID-19, and the last one, in 2019, was rained out,” he said.
New this year is a golf ball drop contest after the tournament ends. Agar said 500 numbered golf balls will be dropped over designated targets on the practice range. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners, including a chance to collect a $10,000 grand prize.
The O’Fallon Fire Department will assist, and the balls will be dropped from the top of the hook and ladder truck.
“We sold 500 tickets with numbers 1 to 500,” Distler said.
If a ticket matches a pre-selected number and goes into a hole on the driving range, the prize is $10,000. There are also three prizes of $1,500, $1,000 and $500 each, he said.
The golf ball drop will be streamed on Facebook Live at 6 p.m.
Greg Yank Remembered
More than 40 years ago, Yank discovered the Rotary Club International fulfilled his desire to live a life that mattered. He joined a local club when he moved to Kirkwood, Missouri, in 1978.
He was elected to a two-year term as a director in 2017, one of three in the U.S. He represented 63,000 Rotarians in 13 states.
He previously served as president of the O’Fallon Rotary Club and was a district governor twice, overseeing 48 clubs and 1,600 members in southern Illinois.
Yank was the O’Fallon club’s Rotarian of the Year in 1991-1992 and 1992-1993.
Rotary Community Projects
Proceeds from both the golf tournament and ball drop will help fund the club’s community projects.
In the past, the club has used money for the Rotary Park’s pavilions, fire pit and playgrounds at Rock Springs Rotary Park and student scholarships.
A portion of the proceeds will also help fund the Gregory F. Yank Servant Leader Scholarship Fund, which was established this spring.
The Rotary’s theme this year is “Serve to Change Lives.”
Distler said there are still ways to support the golf tournament. And for more information or if anyone would like to donate to the scholarship fund, visit the O’Fallon Noon Rotary Club’s Facebook page.