SYLVANIA — Bowling Green State University alumnus Greg Gettum has been volunteering for six years at the LPGA’s Dana Open, but it was the Ronald McDonald House that inspired him to go that direction.

Dana Open media chairman Jim Heller says Gettum “is one of the best volunteers I have had in 13 years at this tournament. I can’t really do his story much justice involving the Ronald McDonald House.”

The Dana Open for Children began Thursday on the 6,555 yard, par 71 Highland Meadows Golf Club, and continues through Sunday’s final round, celebrating it’s 40th year.

For Gettum, a staunch supporter of BGSU athletics, volunteer for the BGSU Alumni Association, and now retired from his position as vice president of marketing for the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, it took a family event for him to realize how important the tournament is.

The tournament has raised over $14 million for children’s charities, and on that list from the very start has been the Ronald McDonald House.

“One of the reasons that I volunteer is because five years ago when my granddaughter Emma (Lyons) was born in Toledo Hospital, she needed to spend about another week in the hospital — nothing serious,” Gettum said.

“She had a bit of a fever at birth and they actually gave her a shot, an antibiotic, to bring her fever down. They couldn’t send her home — they had to wait a week after the shot, but she was fine.

“So my daughter and my son-in-law stayed at the Ronald McDonald House for about a week so that they didn’t have to worry about a hotel. They didn’t have to worry about a restaurant — all of those cares were taken care of so they could concentrate on my granddaughter.

“I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the Ronald McDonald House here in town. It’s just near and dear to my heart because they were so supportive of my family when we needed it.”

Gettum’s job at the Dana Open is to assist Heller, who work together to make sure media from around the world can get their job done.

“I think every year there are upwards of 85 members of the media asking for credentials,” Gettum said. “The local members are outstanding to work with and then there are individuals from CNN, from Golf magazine.

“One year there was a golfer from the University of Kentucky — she was originally from Paducah, Kentucky, and so they sent up a reporter to follow her. So you get a whole variety of individuals and they are very respectful. They have a job to do and what we do is if they wanted an interview, I connect them with Jim.”

As a result, Gettum, who already knew much of the local media from his job at TMACOG, has made friends among the LPGA community, including the players. He is the first to admit he has his favorites.

“I think one of my memories and I’m looking forward to seeing her is Stacy Lewis because she was born here in Toledo,” Gettum said. “Honestly, Lexi Thompson is winding down her career and I would love to see her win the tournament this year.

“It’s amazing the talent that these women have. It’s outstanding. I look forward to watching how they perform and not only how far they hit the ball, but the accuracy.

“These are the best women in the world and they are in our backyard. They are here for four days. It is so exciting on Sunday afternoon when there will be 10 to 12,000 people gathered around the 18th hole.

“And they’ve had nine different winners the last nine years, so boy, you never know who is going to come out of the crowd to win. That is the exciting part when somebody you wouldn’t even think of who might be standing on the 18th hole come Sunday afternoon.”

The tournament just gets better

Getttum has seen firsthand how far Toledo’s LPGA tournament has come. When tournament director Judd Silverman began the tournament 40 years ago at then-Glengarry Country Club (now Stone Oak Country Club) in 1984, the purse was $174,000. This year, it is $1.75 million.

“I think that if someone is not aware of this tournament this week I think they’ve been living under a rock because the TV stations, radio, print, the corporations, volunteers — everybody pulls in the same direction and that’s why it’s been so successful over 40 years,” Gettum said.

“The tournament has evolved over the years, it has become better,” Gettum continued. “The first year of the tournament lost $19,000. When (actor) Jamie (Farr) was involved all of his M*A*S*H buddies were in town.

“They did celebrity pro-ams, they used to have concerts down at the SeaGate Centre, but they‘ve done other things now. They’ve tried different things.

“They brought in (television broadcaster) Jim Nance this year to speak, last year we went to see (former NFL quarterback) Peyton Manning speak at a fundraiser, so you never know. Judd is always thinking, always trying — he and I are the same age and I have no idea where he gets his energy.”

Golf has been a part of Gettum’s life, too, as a player and a parent of a standout Toledo Whitmer golfer. He still loves to play the game.

“My daughter (Kelsey Lyons) was a high school golfer (2005), and she was very good, so I really got into golf for two reasons,” Gettum said.

“When she was in high school, I followed her and played golf with her, and then I took advantage of all the opportunities to participate in golf on a business level — the scrambles and that sort of thing. My father played golf and I played. Golf has a special place, I can play it for the next 20 years if I choose to.”

Gettum always a Falcon

Gettum graduated from the former Toledo DeVilbiss High School, started classes at BGSU in 1974, graduated in 1978, and continued to live in BG until 1978.

“I’m originally from West Toledo and I wondered down to Bowling Green and went to school there and lived there,” Gettum said.

“It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I just have fond memories of BG. There are a group of guys who lived in the same dorm and we get together for a reunion weekend every fall. We go to a football game and make a weekend out of it — lots of good friends, lots of great memories.

“I get down to Bowling Green quite often for athletic events and other programs and events. Obviously it isn’t far. I enjoy being very active.”