Tournament Supports College Scholarship Fund

RALEIGH, N.C. - July 20, 2021 - PRLog -- The Country Club at Wakefield is teed up to host the annual Dereck Whittenburg Golf Invitational on August 9, and Michelle Keaton-Barrow, CEO of Keaton Barrow Realty, is thrilled to once again be a sponsor of this signature event that helps deserving students attend North Carolina colleges.

The mission of the Dereck Whittenburg Foundation is to extend financial assistance to students who face financial challenges with completing their college degrees/education. As Co-Founder and Executive Director Jacqueline Whittenburg explains, the Foundation that bears her husband's name was motived by her own experiences in college. Although she had an academic scholarship and worked for the College Foundation of North Carolina, she still left school with debt, a situation she hopes to help others avoid. "In 2015, we established a 501(c)3. At that time, the average student in this state left college with over $30,000 of debt. Our mission is to help students in the state of North Carolina achieve their goal of completing an undergraduate degree without walking out of college with a lot of debt."

That mission is near and dear to Keaton-Barrow's heart. A longtime youth mentor and advocate for financial education, she understands the ramifications young people face when they start their adult lives financially upside down. "It puts them behind on the very day they begin their careers," she explains. "If we can minimize or eliminate the debt these students graduate with, it helps them get their financial foundations in place much more quickly and sets them up for future success."

"Michelle has been with us since Day One. She has been a fierce supporter of our work, and we can't thank her enough," Whittenburg notes. "Our goal is to reach every school in the state of North Carolina at some point, but I'm proud to say that since 2015, we've almost exceeded giving away over $500,000."

The Celebrity Golf Invitational on August 9 is the organization's major fundraiser, and it once again backed by Keaton-Barrow, an avid golfer who is a member of the Triangle, Charlotte and Cape Fear/Wilmingtonchapters of the LPGA Amateur Golf Association. "Through events like this, we hope to raise funds needed to change students' lives while we simultaneously support the wonderful colleges right here in our own state," Keaton-Barrow notes.

About Keaton Barrow Realty:

With offices in Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., Keaton Barrow Realty is dedicated to providing its clients with professional service and expert advice. Their main goal is to educate the public on all matters related to residential and commercial real estate. The firm also provides international relocation services. Why wait? Live your legacy today by visiting http://www.keatonbarrowrealty.com.