A charity golf classic pairing young people with mentors tees off Nov. 12 at Cottonwood Golf Club, opening the XIXI NOW International Convention in Montgomery.

A Montgomery-based academy is opening its international convention next month with a golf tournament built around youth mentorship.

The XIXI Dr. A.L. Mathis Mentorship & Charity Golf Classic tees off at noon Thursday, Nov. 12, at Cottonwood Golf Club, 7160 Byron Nelson Blvd. Play runs until 4:30 p.m. A mentorship banquet and meet-and-greet follows at the club from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., according to the event page.

The tournament is the first event of the XIXI NOW International Convention, which runs Nov. 12-15. It is presented through XStream Television Ministry Inc. and XIXI NOW Success Academy Worldwide.

The local story, said Dr. Yvette P. W. Mitchell, vice chair of XStream Television Ministry and interim chairman of the academy, is “youth mentorship: connecting young people with positive role models through golf and community involvement.”

What the golf classic is for

Mitchell said the classic “connects youth mentorship, leadership and community through golf.” Youth and school groups who want to take part should contact the organizers in advance, she said.

The event flyer frames it around one question: “What if one golf tournament could change a child’s future?” It says the organizers want to give underserved young people “the chance to step onto a golf course, connect with successful mentors, and discover new possibilities for their future,” and to recognize students who excel in academics, leadership and community service. The flyer says people with special needs are warmly welcomed.

The tournament honors Dr. Anthony L. Mathis, a podiatrist. The academy says he is a graduate of the Citadel and a past president of the South Carolina Podiatric Medical Association, and that he is president of the board of directors of XStream TV Ministry.

According to the flyer, featured guests include:

  • Dr. Kevin Rolle of Alabama State University
  • retired Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway
  • Judge Major Madison
  • Judge B. Wooten
  • Eric M. Nettles Sr.
  • attorney Fred Gray Jr.
  • Dr. Cleveland Gavin, a former principal
  • Ron Mays of iFLYCITYJET Inc.

A question-and-answer panel of people from the military, law enforcement, business and education is also planned, the flyer says.

The event page lists individual play at $111, which covers green fees, a cart, range balls, a tee time, lunch, prizes and awards. A twosome is $200. Prices were checked Oct. 25.

The organizers say XIXI XStream Broadcast Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The flyer says its outreach, run from Montgomery, reaches 19 states and extends to Kenya and Pakistan.

Sponsors and a mentoring partnership

The academy has named two sponsors for the convention. STIG Rock Diamonds is a Presidential Sponsor and has expressed interest in getting involved in youth initiatives, the academy said.

The Alabama Omega Foundation, a statewide organization that already runs a mentoring program, is also a sponsor. The academy said it plans to work with the foundation to expand the reach of mentoring for underserved young Black males. That collaboration is still in development, and program arrangements and details have not been finalized, the academy said.

The academy said its approach treats spiritual, mental and emotional, physical, financial and social development as connected parts of a young person’s growth, and that it sees the sponsors as a way to tie the convention to a longer-term commitment to young people.

Build Your Dream at the Kress building

On Friday, Nov. 13, the convention moves downtown for Build Your Dream, from 9 a.m. to noon at The Eagle Institute at Historic Kress, 39 Dexter Ave. It features Mitchell and Dr. Barbara Wright.

The rest of the convention

The academy’s convention page lists the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, 201 Tallapoosa St., as the convention’s location. A full-access pass is $111 for one person or $200 for a married couple, as of Oct. 25.

Registration, prices and participation rules are on XIXINow.com. The academy’s phone number is 334-419-6902.