Girls Golf Team Goes Pink

Peggy Kelly Gierhart ’86 has coached the Edgewood Girls Golf Team since 2003, continuing a record since 2001 in which the team has taken 13 Conference titles and 13 WIAA State Championships and been State Runner-up twice. In addition to coaching the girls toward becoming a golfing dynasty, Peggy has encouraged the team to support community causes. The Girls Golf Team sponsors the annual Crusade Fore A Cure to raise money for breast cancer research and treatment. The event, hosted at Maple Bluff Country Club, brings together area high school teams every year and all the entry fees plus other fundraising proceeds are donated to Susan G. Komen®

This year’s event, held on August 29, raised $18,000 and earned the girls recognition as Prep Mania Team of the Month by Channel 3 television in Madison as well as coverage by NBC 15 in Madison.

Jon Masson of the Wisconsin State Journal wrote a feature about the event and one of the players in the invitational whose mother has breast cancer.

In response to the day, Peggy received a note from one of the cancer doctors whose programs and patients benefit from the funds raised:

• I just spent the last 8 hours in clinic seeing breast cancer patients and can't thank you enough for the support and work you did in fundraising for Komen South Central…Please know that the funding provided to Komen South Central supports so many fantastic programs for our local patients including the Treatment Access Fund (Wisconsin Well Woman), the Catholic Multi-Cultural Center programs for our patients of Latino descent and the Cancer Navigators who work here at UW and in Beloit to make sure our patients have the care and support they need on their journey through cancer treatment. As a Komen South Central Board Of Directors Member and a cancer surgeon I thank you for helping organize this great event for young women.    — Lee Wilke

Peggy was inducted to the Edgewood Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. At the time, she said, “Edgewood High School is a very special place to me. I had an extremely fulfilling experience here. It has been my pleasure to return and coach these student-athletes and continue to be a part of this community. I truly believe Edgewood offers an environment of competitive academics, personal attention, faith, community and opportunity. I feel lucky to be a part of the Edgewood family and look forward to future years.’