Tom Henke is a famous name in baseball. He even won a World Series during his successful career. But it’s the ongoing commitment to his community that continues to set records. 2024 will be a banner year for Henke. Namely, it will mark the 30th anniversary of the Tom Henke Charity Golf Classic event in Jefferson City. In partnership with a Jefferson City Cosmopolitan Club, Henke works with a volunteer committee to put on this celebrity golf tournament every October. A team of four golfers is paired with a celebrity and gets to enjoy a fun day playing golf together. Over the years, notable participants have included professional athletes from the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, and many local celebrities. However, at the end of the day, it’s what the Charity Classic benefits that matters to Henke the most. “When I started this, I said it was going to do it for five years, and here we are 30 years later,” Henke laughs. “I appreciate the Cosmopolitan Club and Special Learning Center so much! This is a fun event and affordable, but we’re trying to raise money for both organizations at the end of the day.”
The planning team has been extremely successful in this endeavor. Over the years, the event has raised a total of $1.3 million for Special Learning Center and over $400,000 for the Cosmopolitan Club. Giving back to Special Learning Center is a topic near and dear to Henke‘s heart. 
His life changed dramatically when his daughter, Amanda, was born with Down Syndrome. Special Learning Center was there to help both Amanda and her family as they worked to give tools for future success. Special Learning Center provides comprehensive, early intervention services for children with diverse developmental abilities. Their mission is to help children achieve their maximum potential. Proceeds from the Tom Henke classic have allowed them to continue to expand those services to support kids in their families in the Jefferson City community. “I would encourage people to go visit Special Learning Center to see what they are doing for kids. You can experience it firsthand. It is a great place for anyone who has a child with special needs. It will tell you what a resource this is for the community!” Henke also points to the importance of the Jefferson City Cosmopolitan Club that plans the golf event and corresponding banquet or concert every year. The mission of this local group, as well as Cosmopolitan International, is to give back to the community through fundraising and volunteer service with a focus of preventing and finding a cure for diabetes.
The golf tournament has been a great partnership with a common goal of helping kids. The Cosmopolitan Club is a small but mighty club and have organized the tournament for 29 years. The Cosmos have had an important part of enhancing the lives of children with disabilities to become healthy, active and valued members of the community. The planning team is already in full swing for this October! It will mark the 30th year. The Tom Henke Charity Classic is set for October 14, 2024, at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in new Bloomfield.
