A tournament idea that inspired a community

ASHEBORO — Humanity for Humanity made history when it built its 50th home. It’s also the largest.

The Marsh/Purcell family home was dedicated Sunday, July 19, and has five bedrooms and three baths. Of the 50 Habitat homes built the success rate has been successful, the result of the future homeowners receiving financial counseling from the start.

That 50th Habitat home is also the 19th financed through the annual Habitat Golf Classic. The 27th and latest fund-raising tournament was held Sept. 25 at Pinewood Country Club with a secondary course at Colonial Country Club in Thomasville.

“We haven’t missed a year,” said Sam Ramsey, owner of the Asheboro Chick-fil-A franchises and an organizer of the golf tournament. “We had to cut it short twice for rain and a hurricane. Plans are already underway for the 28th. It’s always the fourth Thursday of September.”

Ramsey, who broached the idea of a golf tournament to raise money for Habitat, won’t accept credit for its success, saying it “has only been possible through the selfless efforts of hundreds of sponsor partners, committed volunteers and generosity from the golf course owners that allow the use of their course for the day.”

The golf event began in 1999 and through the previous 26 years raised the funds necessary to complete 19 of the 50 Habitat homes here in

Randolph County. That’s more than $1 million.

Habitat homes

Organizers are seeking new sponsors to join the list of Silver, Gold and Platinum level sponsors. If you would like to join the list please give Ramsey a call at Chick-fil-a or fax your interest to 336-626-0600. In addition, there are many other opportunities to help. For information on those, contact Dreama Meyer at the Habitat Restore or call 336-625-1429.

Randolph Habitat was established in 1996 and has built the 50 homes all over the county. Besides Asheboro, Habitat homes are in Randleman, Liberty, Seagrove, Farmer and Ramseur. Currently, four homes are being built on McMasters Street in Asheboro.

“A non-profit is a business,” recently retired director Wanda Pegg said of Habitat’s status. “We have an office with four employees. We follow the rules and regulations like any other business.” 

That includes the North Carolina and international offices of Habitat. And, of course, construction regulations must be adhered to. 

It’s a non-profit because Habitat helps families near the poverty level build and manage their own homes and “be good neighbors.” There’s no profit motive, just doing good.

Sam Ramsey’s back story

Sam Ramsey was born in Lynchburg, Va., in 1955, 70 years ago. As a teenager, he worked in a grocery store and often saw Jerry Falwell, founder of Liberty University, shopping. He said his parents went to school with Falwell and his father played football and rode motorcycles with the famous evangelist.

Ramsey once asked his then-girlfriend about her father’s profession and learned that he was manager of the S&W Cafeteria in Lynchburg. The girl’s father, upon finding out that Ramsey was interested in a food service career, offered him a job as a junior assistant manager.

“I know why he did that,” Ramsey reflects. “He wanted to keep an eye on me.”

Ramsey did well on his new job, so well that he was later promoted to a location in Virginia Beach, where he served for a few years. He then transferred to Charlotte and met a developer who convinced him to open his own cafeteria, which he did in 1975. It was called Samuel’s Family Cafeteria.

It wasn’t long before a developer came into Ramsey's cafeteria and asked him to consider opening a cafeteria in the new mall under construction in Asheboro. While Ramsey was considering the idea, “a fellow kept coming into the cafeteria encouraging me. It was Ogburn Yates,” a well-known Asheboro businessman.

“After getting to know Ogburn and checking out Asheboro, I did open the Samuel’s Family Cafeteria in Randolph Mall in 1981,” said Ramsey.

But there was a problem: there were only six tenants in the new mall and Ramsey “knew I was in for a rocky road. So I put it up for sale and ended up selling it to Apple House Cafeteria after 18 months.” The deal required him to manage the location.

Over time Randolph Mall added tenants. Then in 1988, he saw a sign in the mall that said, “Chick-fil-A Coming Soon.” 

By then Ramsey had married his wife Vicki and they had two children, Brad and Christi.

“Vicki knew that I wanted my own business and suggested I check into that Chick-fil-A franchisee,” he said. “I did and was awarded the franchise in 1988. The rest is history!”

Ramsey has been the local Chick-fil-A owner/operator for the last 37 years, opening a second location at Center Pointe Plaza on Dixie Drive. Over the years, Ramsey has been more than generous in supporting local causes.