J. Erik Jonsson Community School - EDS Byron Nelson
by Kate Phillips

On Tuesday, May 9th, PTWA members and golfers Corey Pavin and Phil Tataurangi joined in activities with students at the J. Erik Jonsson Community School in Dallas, Texas. The kindergarten class read from the books they had written about what they had done over the weekend and showed off their beautiful illustrations! 1st graders were waiting for PTWA members in the courtyard with gloves and gardening implements, and together we potted new plants and watered them. Then the 2nd graders showed off the web site they had created. Needless to say, their technical expertise at this age is impressive, and put most of us to shame! We finished up at the school helping the 5th grade with their science project of investigating owl pellets. Yes, owl pellets are what you think they are! And it was fascinating to learn about all the different animal bones that can be found inside them! It definitely wasn't just the students learning something in this project!

80% of the students at J. Erik Jonsson Community School come from underprivileged backgrounds from the local community, and many do not speak English when they enroll in the school. Tuition is determined on the family's ability to pay, and the balance is made up by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, the tournament organization which runs the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. It is wonderful to see where the proceeds from the tournament are donated.

We concluded our visit with a tour of Christina's Smile - a mobile dentistry unit which tours around some of the PGA TOUR tournament locations, offering free treatment for those children who cannot afford to see a dentist. Christina's Smile recruits local dentists in each area it visits, and the dentists donate their time to help. It was great to see the worthwhile work that they do for these children in need.