Vera Bradley Classic hits links

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A full weekend of fundraising wraps up Monday with the finale of The Vera Bradley Classic.

Hundreds of golfers teed off for a cause at both Pine Valley Country Club and Sycamore Hills Golf Club.

Melissa Schenkel, spokesperson for Vera Bradley, said the four days of fundraising efforts require almost a year of planning.

"Right after the Vera Bradley Classic is over, volunteers and participants get together, the Vera Bradley crew gets together and [planning] begins right then," said Schenkel.

Hundreds of volunteers worked for months on a long list of fundraising activities. From ribbons to baseball jerseys, Fort Wayne turned pink starting Thursday for a good cause. The Vera Bradley Classic raises money for breast cancer research.

"We're very happy, especially [in this economic] time.... So many people are still coming together to give and donate to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer," said Schenkel.

The fundraising activities included a TinCaps game, a tennis tournament and finally Monday's golf outing.

"The fun thing about the Classic is that women get to play and men get to score keep," said Schenkel.

Many women hit the links with pink on their sleeves, and a cure on their minds.

"Most everyone, unfortunately, knows someone who has been affected and many of those people are out here playing," said Schenkel.

Thanks to the more than $10 million raised in the last 16 years, The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer has provided funds for groundbreaking research.

"They're saying in the next five to ten years, they will be able to administer a blood test and be able to tell you if you have just a little bit of breast cancer. [That would allow doctors] to cure that at a much earlier rate," said Schenkel.

The Vera Bradley Classic will wrap up Monday evening with a dinner following the 18-hole golf outing at Sycamore Hills. The total raised during this year's event will be announced during the dinner.