Some golfers didn’t want to leave the Chattahoochee Golf Course, the weather was so good.

The tournament was just one part of a successful weekend for the Grady Young Foundation, said Charles G. Young, chairman of the organization’s board of directors.

Also producing a smile for Young is that 120 area students showed up for SAT preparation workshop Friday at Gainesville State College.

"The weekend was just great, both spiritually and financially, and was overall just a great joy for everyone involved," he said Sunday.

The organization strives to provide spiritual and financial support in the area through scholarships, training and research programs, collaborative work, leadership training and community service, according to its Web site.

It is named after Grady Young, a lifetime Hall County resident who, among many roles, served as layman president emeritus of the Northwestern Baptist Association of Georgia and served for 26 years as treasurer of the
Congress of Christian Education.

This year’s memorial weekend also involved a gospel music concert, father-son brunch and Sunday morning worship service at Cross Plains Missionary Baptist Church in South Hall.

But the highlight is always the recognition banquet, Young said.

At this year’s banquet, held at the Frances Meadows Aquatic and Community Center, the organization honored 22 people in customer or public service roles, he said.

Also, three people were posthumously inducted into the Grady Young Hall of Fame.

Each year, the banquet honors a different segment of the community. In the past, teachers, military personnel and community leaders have been recognized.

All the weekend’s events are planned as a way to honor the legacy of Grady Young.

"He was well known for his Christian work and for his community service," said Rickey Young, chairman of the Recognition Banquet Committee.

The group plans to use money raised over the weekend to provide scholarships for Hall County students.

To date, the Grady Young Foundation has provided 48 scholarships.

Charles Young said he didn’t think the economic downturn has put a dent in the group’s efforts this weekend. "A number of people ... see the good that we’re doing and are willing to assist," he said.