RADFORD, Va. – A local financial adviser’s once-in-a-lifetime golf shot is helping Radford High School get equipment it has been missing.
Keith Weltens said he recently learned the school does not have a permanent trailer for its band and athletic programs to haul equipment.
“They don’t actually have any permanent trailers for sports or the band or anything else,” Weltens said. “They have to go and borrow our rent one. And then right after the event they have to go and take it back. And so it’s hard on staff, it’s hard on volunteers. It’s just not efficient.”
Weltens said organizers were about $5,500 short of their goal when he left to play in a golf tournament at Auburn Hills Golf Club.
“And when we finally got all the pricing back, I’d let them know on Monday that we were gonna be about fifty five hundred dollars short,” Weltens said. “But I had to go play a golf tournament at 1:00 o’clock, and so that’s how this whole story started.”
During the tournament, Weltens hit a hole-in-one — his first, he said — on a roughly 200-yard shot.
“I’m open to say that I’m the worst on the team,” Weltens said. “I hit the ball. It actually was a really good shot … rolled directly straight and right into the hole.”
Weltens and his playing partners celebrated, but they didn’t immediately realize the shot came with a prize.
“We were just thrilled that it was a hole in one,” Weltens said. “And when we were getting ready to get into our cart, we looked over, and we saw a sign that said $5,000 and boy, we were ecstatic.”
Josh Smith, who was paired with Weltens during the tournament, said the group celebrated twice — once for the ace and again after learning there was money attached.
“Keith hits a hole in one. We celebrate. We didn’t even know that there was a monetary prize,” Smith said. “Everybody celebrates again. And then … Keith is like, hey, I think the right thing to do here is donate this.”
The $5,000 donation went to the Radford City Schools Partners for Excellence Foundation, which is raising money to purchase a custom trailer for Radford High School, according to information shared in the broadcast.
Heather Arnold, a client services coordinator at Ameriprise Financial, said the timing of the prize made the moment even more unusual.
“I was amazed,” Arnold said. “Every time I tell a story I get chill bumps because how rare is that for the hole in one, for one, and then winning $5,000 to make up the difference for two.”
Weltens said he has children who have gone through the school system, and he wanted to help even though his family was not directly involved with the band or football team.
“I’ve never played in the band, I never played on the football team,” Weltens said. “I have kids they’ve gone through the school system, still have one in the system and they’ve never done either of those things. To circle that square for them, it’s great.”
Foundation leaders and school supporters said they are continuing to look for additional ways to help meet other needs.