The Valley Grande Golf Course was packed Saturday morning as International Paper’s Riverdale Mill held its eighth annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Charity Golf Tournament.

Proceeds went to MDA, a nonprofit health agency that is dedicated to finding treatments for muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases.

Although every player left with a prize, the star of the day was Jason Higginbotham — or JC as most know him, a 16-year-old who battles MDA in his everyday life. Higginbotham’s grandfather Phillip and his dad Jason work at the mill and were also at the tournament Saturday.

“It means a lot because they are trying to find new medicine for all these different types of muscular dystrophy,” said Higginbotham, who said he enjoys the atmosphere of the tournament every year.

The tournament almost didn’t continue this year but Adam Crovato and Richard Hughey, employees at International Paper, said they couldn’t let it go away.

“Every year he gets so excited about the tournament,” Crovato said of JC. “When we heard this year that we were going to let this tournament go, it just broke mine and Richard’s heart. We just said ‘man we cannot let this go.’ Just for him. He loves to come out here.”

Hughey and Crovato said they were blown away by just how much support the Selma community put behind the tournament.

“We went out and went to local businesses and went to vendors at our work at International Paper, and we asked them for any kind of help they would give and they have done an outstanding job,” Hughey said.

Through the tournament, $4,000 was raised that will go to MDA in JC’s honor.

A total of 100 players took part in the four-man scramble tournament. The team of Billy Kynard, Wally Blanchette, Guy Wimbely and Derek Depuydt won first place overall.

Second place went to the team of Hughey, Crovato, Jason Egbert and Joe Crovato.  Third place was Earl Irwin, Justin Irwin, Ray Harrelson and Tom Watson.