NATCHEZ — The 18th annual United Way golf scramble is just two months away, and the organization is just a putt away from reaching its fundraising goal for this year.

The annual golf tournament is set for June 9 at Beau Pré Country Club. The United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou, which is hosting the event, has a target amount of $175,000 it wants to raise. To date, the organization has accumulated $167,803.

Event coordinator Sheri Rabb said the organization has 12 agencies it helps fund, and they’re still trying to get as much money as possible until the fall.

“Our (fundraising) campaign is closed, but we’ll be taking dollars until August,” Rabb said.

“We’re trying between now and then to get as much money as we can to meet that goal. Even though our goal has dropped in the past couple of years (in terms of dollars), there’s still the same amount of people that need the funding.”

All proceeds are split between the 12 agencies the organization funds, including Adams County 4-H, Adams County Casa, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities Cope and Catholic Charities Counciling.

The organization also helps fund Guardian Shelter, Guardian Sexual Assault Center, Coming Out of the Dark Ministries, the Natchez Falcons youth football, T.M. Jennings baseball, the Senior Citizens Center and Habitat for Humanity.

“All the money stays in the Miss-Lou,” Rabb said. “This is a non-profit organization. We’re not doing anything with the money — it’s all going to the agencies.

“The organizations we help fund cover people from youth all the way up to seniors. Mississippi and Louisiana people benefit from them.”

And Rabb said she’s benefited personally from one of the agencies, and can attest to it being a worthwhile cause.

“Catholic Charities helped me out when my house burned down,” Rabb said. “I told them I wasn’t Catholic, and they said they didn’t care.”

Registration for the golf scramble is ongoing, and the cost to participate is $125 per person. A platinum sponsorship is also available for $700, which includes a four-man team entry, hole sponsorship, reception sponsorship and the person’s name posted prominently at the tournament.

Hole sponsorships are also available for $100, and Rabb said they’re taking those up until June 2.

“We need as many as we can get,” she said. “It can be individual people or businesses, and everything you give is tax-deductible.”

The tournament will also feature a ball drop, sponsored by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The winner will be awarded with a two-night stay at the Isle of Capri in Biloxi, free golf and $500 cash to spend while there. Ball drop tickets are $20 apiece.

Trace City Toyota will also be giving away a 2011 Camry to the first person to get a hole-in-one on hole 13. A closest-to-hole prize on hole 16 and a longest drive prize on 18 will also be given away.

Shotgun start for the tournament is at 1 p.m. June 9. Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call Rabb at 318-336-9934.