The Children’s Dyslexia Center of Portland will hold its 11th annual Teddy Bear Scramble on Aug. 24 at Spring Meadows Golf Club on Route 100 in Gray. Registration begins at 7 a.m., and the tournament itself kicks off with a shotgun start at 8:15.

The Scramble attracted somewhere between 20 and 22 teams of four last year, for a total of rouhghly 80-88 participants. “It’s more successful every year that we do it,” said Jerry Dewitt, chairman of the center’s board of directors.

“We’re just trying to get more golfers to play,” Dewitt said. “We put the word out to the community and hopefully people show up – usually, we don’t get that many signed up ahead of time; they just show up the morning of it.”

Dewitt emphasized, “We’re looking for lady players, too. We hope the ladies will come out and play.”

The cost to participate in the fundraiser is $70 a head; that number includes greens fees, cart rental and lunch. Naturally, prizes will be on offer, including the opportunity to win a car – provided by Emerson Chevrolet – for any golfer who manages to knock a hole-in-one.

“The most important part of this event is that all proceeds will go to the Portland CDC in direct support of our programs,” said Barbara Labrecque, center director.  Since services are free, fundraisers are crucial for CDC’s survival.

Of course, the Scramble hardly fills  coffers to overflowing. “Not enough,” said Dewitt, asked how much money the event brings in. “It costs $5,000 per year, per student. All the students attend free, and it’s a two-year program.”

The center also holds a Cabin Fever 15K road race in Freeport every February.

The Children’s Dyslexia Center of Portland is online at http://www.cdcp.me/.