WATCH: Florida Tech’s 14th Annual Chopper Dropper Event At Suntree Country Club

By  //  March 25, 2017

SPACE COAST DAILY TEAM COVERAGE

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Join Alan Zlotorzynski, Orville Susong and Steve Wilson on Space Coast Daily TV as they come to you live from Florida Tech’s Sporting Affair XXV at the Suntree Country Club.

ABOVE VIDEO: As the athletic director of Florida Tech, Melbourne native Bill Jurgens has guided the Panther sports program from its infancy, and was inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame. 

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Time to revise the saying that “close” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

It also counts in Chopper Dropper.

On Friday at Suntree Country Club, the closest golf ball to the pin won someone the $50,000 grand prize as Florida Institute of Technology held its 14th Annual Chopper Dropper.

The event is a key part of the university’s biggest fundraiser for athletics scholarships, the annual Sporting Affair XXV, also featured a golf tournament, food and drink, a silent auction and more.

Chopper Dropper involves dropping 2,000 numbered golf balls from a Brevard County Sheriff’s Office helicopter onto a putting green, with the ball closest to the pin winning the holder of that number the $50,000 grand prize.

There is also a $10,000 second prize and 15 $1,000 prizes, as well.

ABOVE VIDEO: Florida Tech University’s annual Sporting Affair featured a Chopper Dropper contest where 2,000 numbered golf balls were dropped from a helicopter. Closest to the hole was the winner.

There was also plenty to do before and after those golf balls drop.

A cocktail buffet reception sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi of Melbourne featured food from Florida Tech athletic partners The Broken Barrel Tavern, Matt’s Casbah and Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

There was a silent auction featuring unique sports memorabilia and much more, and a 50/50 cash raffle.

Florida Tech Athletic Director Bill Jurgens Discusses Chopper Dropper, Illustrious Career At FITRelated Story:
Florida Tech Athletic Director Bill Jurgens Discusses Chopper Dropper, Illustrious Career At FIT

And of course there was the golf tournament at the beautiful, and normally members-only, Suntree Country Club. Qualifying golfers had a shot at $1 million in the hole in one shootout.

Sporting Affair and Chopper Dropper benefit Florida Tech’s 22 sports programs and more than 550 student athletes by generating funding for athletic scholarships.

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ABOVE VIDEO: From 2015, former Florida Tech athletes, football player Andrew Adair and women’s basketball player Kayk Wilson talk about their experiences at FIT and the opportunities their athletic scholarship has given them.