The Jeff Award was a surprise announced at the Saturday Night Dinner the first year of the tournament, 1995. Chuck Sr, in talking with the artist that created the trophies, realized a likeness of Jeff could be etched into a glass panel. The artist made it unknown to anyone in the family. This piece of artwork was sent as a gift to Chuck and Judy. This piece of artwork was presented on Saturday night to Judy by Chuck Sr. Chuck Sr. said at the presentation, Without Judy's contribution as Jeff's mother, the Jeff Berberich Memorial Invitational would not have ever have taken place. This event was the beginning of many tears of joy, sadness, pride and love that would take place in the years to come. The presentation of this award, each year, is given to the person or persons, who have contributed their time and extra effort to enhance The Jeff Berberich Memorial Tournament. This always proves to be an emotional moment. Potential recipients are nominated by the Berberich Family, and voted upon for the award. The winner is presented with a plaque and is recognized at the banquet following the tournament each year.

2011 Jeff Award



The Marriot (now Wyndham) Bay Point Resort and Golf Course for their tremendous support and efforts. Special note to Dana Lent, Trey Childs, and the entire golf course staff, led by Jamey Davis, course Superintendent in making our transition from our many fine years at The Hombre a smooth success

2010 Jeff Award


The Bigus Family
Ron, Susan, George, Joe and Jenifer Bigus and family.
Starting in 2004, they have volunteered to run and sponsor the prizes for the putting contest which has raised hundreds of dollars each year.

2009 Jeff Award

Debbie and Jim Collins
Deb & Jim Collins received the "Jeff Award" because of their dedication and tireless efforts that they bring to the tournament every year. They are responsible for helping wherever or whatever we need done. They have donated pin flags for years, with or with out signatures, autographs on flags, pictures any memorabllia they can get autographed during the year before tournament. They have been in charge of the pin flags for years, they have gone to the course and put out signs on the tees and greens long before most of us are out of bed saturday morning! They are always willing to run errands for anything that we may need during tournament time.They have made the tournament every year coming from Virginia, not to play golf but to help and support the tournament and our family. The golfers will all recognize them because year after year, Jim is out there on the course snapping team photo's and at the end of the tournament every golf has a picture of his team. They are always there for us!

2008 Jeff Award

Andy Marshall
Andy from Hungry Howies Pizza and Subs has provided the pizza for the Pizza Party and Putting Contest, the past several years.

2007 Jeff Award

Earl & Karen Durden
The Durden Foundation has contributed several thousand dollars over the years to the Jeff Berberich Memorial Tournament.

2006 Jeff Award
Sid Taylor
Manager of Lewis Bear Budweiser Distributorship contributed the beer and several prizes for the tournament from its inception.

2005 Jeff Award
 
Roy Centanni
Roy is the owner of Montego Bay and other local restaurants who have generously sponsored our Annual Jeff Berberich / Montego Bay Shootout for the past several years and other financial contributions.

2004 Jeff Award
 		 Rusty Hill
Rusty is the owner of Panama City Toyota and was the first Platinum Sponsor in 2004. He contributed two $2500 sponsorships in addition to sponsoring "hole-in-one" Toyota car give-away.

2003 Jeff Award
Jim Hawn
Jim is the local owner of fish wholesale business and has contributed several hundred dollars worth of deep sea fishing trips, for several years.

2002 Jeff Award
Wes Burnham
Wes is the owner and developer of the Hombre Golf Club and has been a financial supporter of our event since the inception.

2001 Jeff Award
Ken Brown
Ken created, developed and is the webmaster for the JBMI.ORG Website. The website has enhanced our ability to communicate information about our charity tournament.

Marty Libowsky
Marty has contributed time and effort by selling over $3500. worth of raffle tickets in addition to contributing several hundred dollars worth of prizes.

2000 Jeff Award
Gaye & Bob Friess
The 2000 Jeff Award was presented to Gaye and Bob Friess, very good friends of the Berberich Family. Gaye took it upon herself to write to a distant cousin, one Ben Crenshaw, explaining their relationship and also the details of the Jeff Berberich Tournament.

In mid March she excitedly phoned Chuck Berberich to say she received a package from cousin Ben; upon opening it we found it to be a 1999 Ryder Cup Print signed by all the golfers (including the late Payne Stewart). After much research and input from the P.G.A., we discovered the signatures although not original, were reproduced and only 1000 were released to the public. After realizing what we had, the decision was made by Bob Friess to try to raffle it off.

The raffle was a huge success as we raised an additional $5,000 for the kids at Advocates. This was a first ever for the tournament and as a result of Gaye and Bob's enthusiasm and extra effort they were chosen for the Jeff Award for the year 2000.

1999 Jeff Award
Carl Anderson
The 1999 Jeff Award was presented to Carl Anderson, who approached the Berberich Family in 1998 and volunteered to host the pizza party on his glass bottom boat. He suggested we meet at the dock around 6:00p.m. and cruise out into St Andrew Bay and on to Shell Island for a walk on the island and to experience a sunset of all sunsets what a sight! Carl supplied the boat and the crew to host the Pizza Party. His knowledge of the water, as captain, was evident as we cruised he explained in detail the areas we were going through and the history of them. It was an unforgettable evening and because of Carl's generosity and extra effort he was chosen as the 1999 Jeff Award recipient.


Jeff Award
John Troutt
John was instrumental in getting us some much-needed news coverage. We felt if we could get the local media to cover the tournament we could expose more people to our efforts to raise the awareness of the Advocates for Children Organization. John was able to get a local volunteer from Advocates for Children and Chuck Berberich Sr. on a local talk show, in addition we had live coverage of the golf tournament highlights on the 6 o'clock and 10 o'clock news both Sunday and the following Monday.

After the tournament several contributions were received as a result of the coverage thus the reason for the selection of John Troutt as the Jeff Award recipient.


Jeff Award
Susie Hoffson
Lynn Hess
1997 brought us our first co-recipients of the Jeff Award. Susie Hoffson and Lynn Hess were volunteers with Advocates for Children. 1997 was the year that the Jeff Berberich Memorial Invitational took The Advocates for Children as their charity to receive the proceeds of the tournament.

Susie and Lynn enthusiastically canvassed the Panama City and Panama City Beach communities for donations of prizes, support, and cash. Thanks in part for their efforts the Jeff Berberich Memorial Invitational broke the $10,000 barrier for the first time.
heir tireless fundraising efforts not only benefited the tournament in 1997 but by making the contacts in the Panama City Beach community and introducing the Jeff Berberich Memorial Invitational, has helped with fund raising and prize donation each year since.

Jeff was a very hard worker. Susie and Lynn's dedication and hard work reminded the Berberich family of Jeff's work ethic and dedication to his causes.


Jeff Award
Dan McGrath
1996 marked the first official presentation of the Jeff Award, as we know it today. The Berberich Family decided in 1995 to present the award annually to the person or persons that have made significant contributions to the effort behind the Jeff Berberich Memorial Invitational.

The plaque has a photograph of Jeff with the following inscription;

For you contribution and extra effort in making this
Memorial Invitational Tournament the great event it is
and carrying on Jeff's legacy, his love for kids and golf.

The 1996 Jeff Award was presented to Dan McGrath of the Hombre Golf Club at the banquet and awards ceremony. Dan and his staff, had worked tirelessly with Chuck Sr. to organized, manage, referee, and monitor the tournament into a first class event. Dan and his staff assured us, a smoothly run tournament the first year. He did not receive a great deal of notice about our idea. Around December of 1994, six months after Jeff died Chuck Sr. was in Dan's office with this idea. . . a golf tournament!

Dan did not take this as the ramblings of a grieving father; instead he embraced the idea and did everything in his power to make the first year and every year thereafter a great success.

Dan has done it all, referee, weatherman, manager, promoter, supporter, cheerleader, and psychologist. he has worn many hats on behalf of our tournament.

The presentation was a surprise to Dan, and it proved to be an emotional time for all. The Berberich Family could not have been more pleased to have the award presented to Dan in 1996. He is a true friend of our family,