By Ben Cox
Illinois Department of Corrections Sgt. Frank Mackenzie “Mac” Spaulding passed away in February 2021 in Puerto Rico. His longtime friend and classmate Garrett Eilering passed away in November 2024 in Jacksonville.
Both of them enjoyed golf together while they were students at Routt Catholic High School. Mac’s mother, Phronsie Spaulding, started a golf fundraiser for Sgt. Spaulding shortly after his passing to honor her son’s memory and as a way for friends to gather and do one of the things her son loved the best.
The “Par Tee Fore Mac” allowed friends and community members to get together and share memories, enjoy a round of golf and raise money for a local nonprofit organization.
After Eilering passed away in 2024, his name was added to the 18-hole golf scramble’s celebration. Joe Eilering, Garrett Eilering’s father, says it is a way to remember both of them “as they were” with their impact on family, friends and the surrounding community.
The scramble was held at The Links on August 2 with a shotgun start at noon. The day included special memorial spots, prizes and a commemorative t-shirt. “We had some hole sponsors, people donated money and we ended up raising $4,600,” Joe Eilering says, “and all of the money went to the Jacksonville Youth Engagement Program.”
The Jacksonville Youth Engagement Program (JYEP) strives to advance the mental and physical development of Jacksonville area youth through funding assistance for inclusive recreation, sports, mentoring and enrichment programs. Eilering, who is vice president of JYEP, says the organization partners with nearly a dozen programs in Jacksonville to provide a number of opportunities to under-privileged children. To learn more about JYEP, visit jaxyouthengagement.org.
