Fight against abuse continues for ‘Deputy Dawg’

ALBANY — For more than two decades, the Albany Exchange Club has hosted its annual Deputy Dawg Charity Golf Tournament in an effort to combat the ongoing problem of child abuse. And while doing so, the Exchange Club has also honored the memory of a man who was instrumental in that fight.

This year’s four man Deputy Dawg scramble is set for April 20 at Stonebridge Golf and Country Club.

“This is our 22nd year,” Exchange Club member and event organizer Bryan Wingate said Wednesday. “This Deputy Dawg Golf Tournament is one of our largest charitable events that we do each year. The whole thing is about fighting child abuse.”

According to Wingate, for anyone who grew up in Albany, or South Georgia, and is now older than 40, the tournament’s namesake probably has a familiar ring.

“If you are over 40 years old and grew up around here, you probably remember Frank Sumner, or Deputy Dawg,” Wingate said. “I sure remember him. I never knew him as a member of the club; by the time I joined he had already passed. But he did a lot of great things for this community, and it only seemed fitting to name the charity event in his honor.”

Sumner was a deputy with the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Department, according to Exchange Club officials, and because of his dedication to children and young people, went on to become director of the department’s youth program.

“Beginning in 1971, he started a program to bring awareness of drugs, alcohol, and crime to students in elementary schools and quickly spread to school children of all ages from primary to high school,” an Exchange Club email about Sumner said. “Before his death in 1995, he had delivered his message in over 6,000 presentations to children, churches, civic clubs and anywhere else he could get an audience. He had over 20,000 drug-related items he could display, and traveled at least 500,000 miles.”

According to Wingate, for Sumner community service, including being a member of the Exchange Club, came naturally, and the tournament honors those civic efforts.

“All of that money raised goes to fight child abuse; Open Arms is our partner,” Wingate said. “This is just the kind of thing Deputy Dawg would be all about.”

According to club records, Sumner was awarded many service awards, including The Book of Golden Deeds, a prestigious award given only to selfless community servants. He was also a World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran who was dedicated to children.

“There are many sayings attributed to Deputy Dawg, including, ‘Hugs, not drugs’ and ‘Be smart, don’t start. Don’t Clown around with drugs’,” the Exchange Club email said. “He was quick to tell the children he was an orphan, that he overcame many adversities and they could, too. We were proud to have him as a member of the Exchange Club of Albany, and it was just natural that we would name our golf tournament that was started for children after a person so dedicated to the children of our community.”

Tournament registration and lunch are at noon, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

For more information, contact Wingate at (229) 881-9408.