Funds will support students pursuing real estate related careers
FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 23, 2022) — Scott Fischer Charities proudly presented the Paul Sands Memorial Real Estate Investment Society (REIS) Scholarship Fund at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) with a check for $30,000 to encourage and support students interested in commercial real estate and related professions. The funds were raised through the generosity of sponsors and golfers at the 25th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational golf tournament organized each year by Scott Fischer and Lisa Sands who have carried on the tournament in memory of Paul and his impact on the community. Lisa Sands presented the check to Realtor Bev Larson at the REIS luncheon in March 2022.
“We were so humbled by the continued generosity of Slaw Dog Invitational sponsors and golfers at our 25thannual event,” said Fischer, founder of Scott Fischer Charities and owner of Scott Fischer Enterprises. “Together, we raised more than we ever have in the event’s history, which allows us to make an even greater community impact.”
Paul Sands was a local rainmaker with an award-winning career in commercial real estate whose passing in 2010 was a huge loss to Southwest Florida. Fischer and Lisa Sands have carried on the invitational tournament in memory of Paul and his legacy impact on the community. What started on a whim as two close friends reflecting on the upcoming holidays after a round of golf has grown into one of the most highly anticipated annual charity golf tournaments in the area. The first Slaw Dog Invitational raised $5,000. By 2021, when it was in its 25th year, it raised $106,000 to help support the youth in Southwest Florida.
Fischer is a founding member of the Board of Directors for Blessings in a Backpack Southwest Florida and Paul Sands was passionate about the Real Estate Investment Society (REIS) Scholarship Fund at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), playing a key part in its growth. These two organizations have become the annual fundraising recipients of the invitational. This year, Valerie’s House also benefited from the proceeds.
Generous donations have helped to consecutively surpass the event’s annual fundraising goals. In 2020, David and Charlyn Veracka, who represented the entire Rockstar Harley-Davidson family, upped the game by donating $50,000. They also committed to matching up to the first $50,000 raised in 2021 to help the event set another record.
The 25th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational was held on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at the Cypress Lake Golf Club.