Birdies for Brittney honors legacy, gives back to Bowling Green community
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Nine years after Brittney Gorman Parrish died, her family and the Bowling Green community continue to honor her legacy through an annual golf tournament focused on giving back.
The ninth annual Birdies for Brittney Golf Tournament was held Monday, Sept. 14, at Indian Hills Country Club.
The tournament was created in 2018 in memory of Gorman Parrish, who died at age 28 after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2017. She was a 2006 graduate of Bowling Green High School and a 2010 graduate of Western Kentucky University.
Gorman Parrish was a wife and mother to a 9-month-old daughter, Emery Rose.
Her father, Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman, said the tournament gives his family an opportunity to continue talking about Brittney while carrying on the values she represented.
“What this tournament really does is it’s a great thing for our family because we’re able to talk about Brittney,” Gorman said. “A lot of times, you want to say your loved one’s name, so being able to talk about Brittney is a fantastic thing.”
Since the tournament began, Birdies for Brittney has awarded $215,000 in scholarships to 29 local high school seniors from Warren Central, Greenwood, South Warren, Warren East and Bowling Green High School.
The scholarships recognize students who have demonstrated a commitment to volunteering and giving back to their communities.
“One of the reasons they get that scholarship is the amount of volunteerism they do in the community before they get to college,” Gorman said. “That’s what Brittney was about.”
The tournament has also provided $100,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations working to support children and families.
Organizations that have received grants include Life’s Better Together, Phoenix Rising, Curbside Ministries, The Foundry, the Barren River Child Advocacy Center and Down Syndrome of Southern Kentucky.
This year, 58 teams participated in the ninth annual tournament.
For Gorman and his family, the event is about more than golf or fundraising. It is a way to keep Brittney’s memory alive while making a difference in the community she loved.
Gorman said he believes Brittney would be proud to see how the tournament has grown and the impact it has made.
“She would love that it is helping this community that she loved as well,” Gorman said.
The Birdies for Brittney Golf Tournament continues to honor Brittney’s legacy through scholarships, charitable giving and a commitment to helping future generations.
