The golf tournament was held Friday at Groesbeck Golf Course, 1600 Ormond St., in Lansing.

Helen Lang, vice chairwoman of the Lansing Mayor’s Committee For Drug Free Youth and chairwoman of the golf tournament, said this is the only event put on by the committee, and it is entirely volunteer-run.

“This is the 17th annual tournament,” Lang said. “It was started by the mayor (back) then.”

She added that the money raised helps cover substance abuse education for children.

Bernero said the money raised isn’t for a sexy or flashy cause, but is necessary to preserve the well-being of today’s youth.

“(The programs) make a big difference,” he said. “They get kids back on track.”

One program the outing benefits is the Lansing Teen Court, which promotes law education and safe choices in youth.

Mike Botke, director of Lansing Teen Court, said this is a way for adults to help teens through their problems.

“We’re making the teens part of the solution instead of blaming them,” Botke said.
He said about 700 teens go through the court each year, and about 200 of them are first-time offenders.

He added that teens in the program aren’t bad kids.

“These kids are not criminals, they just made a bad choice,” he said. “We just need to spend more time with them.”

Botke said the golf tournament has supported Lansing Teen Court and brings in about $5,000 a year.

Another supporter of Lansing Teen Court is Cooley Law School, where Botke said the students act as judges.

Still, he said it is the job of adults to keep kids on the right path.

“When we take our eyes off kids, that’s when problems happen.”