NATCHITOCHES – One of the largest, most visible fundraising events in the Northwestern State athletic family isn't just getting older, it's also getting bigger and better.
 
The date – Saturday, Aug. 6 – is set for the 28th annual Don't Die Wondering Golf Classic, which benefits the Northwestern State women's basketball program, and new Lady Demons head coach Jordan Dupuy has his eye on making the 2016 edition, DDW XXVIII, the biggest and best yet.
 
The tournament began in 1989 at the behest of former head coach James Smith, who took the phrase from a locker room speech by former NSU point guard Angela Ortega. Dupuy was in charge of a similarly sized tournament at his previous stop, Southern Mississippi, and hopes to have the same success he did on the course in Hattiesburg. 
 
He is tagging the tournament with the slogan "Strive for 36" to set a goal for a full field of 36 teams playing in either the morning (8 a.m.) or afternoon (1 p.m.) flights at the 18-hole Northwestern Hills Golf Course, located on the Highway 1 bypass in Natchitoches. 
 
"The tradition of the DDW Golf Classic is not only a great fundraising opportunity but has become a representation of everything this program is about," Dupuy said. "The people of our great community coming together as a family to support our women's basketball program and having a good time doing it. We want this year to be bigger than ever as we 'strive for 36!' I want to have 18 teams in both flights and, when we achieve this, it will jump start our run to a conference championship. Let's all get involved either with our time or our finances and show our student-athletes what they truly mean to our athletics program and our community."
 
The event is an 18-hole scramble setup with four players per team. Entry fees are $400 per team or $100 per person. 
 
Each entrant's payment covers greens and golf cart fees, the traditional commemorative cap, lunch and entry into the Foy Motors Hole-in-One Shootout.
 
The player who makes the first ace on the par-3, 168-yard 10th hole wins a 2016 vehicle from Foy Motors in Many. Players who score a hole-in-one on other holes will be rewarded with prizes ranging from golf equipment to resort locations.
Tournament sponsorships also are available for supporters. Packages offered are a corporate sponsorship for $1,000, a major sponsorship for $500, a team sponsorship for $400 and a tee sponsorship for $150.
 
To enter or for more information, contact Jordan Dupuy or administrative assistant Kelsey Martin at 318-357-5891 or David Stamey at 318-663-8803.