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Honoring Charlie: Knoxville community tees off to remember young golfer's selfless spirit
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — What does it mean to love like Charlie?
'To be loyal, to be kind, to be giving and to put others before you,' said Charlie's dad, Jimmy Schuster.
The phrase embodies how Charlie Schuster lived his life.
'He was very selfless, he thought of others, especially those that he loved, he would just give you the shirt off his back. I just remember he always wanted to be the first Christmas present under the tree that he was giving to other people, he loved his family, loved his friends, it's fitting,' said Jimmy.
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Charlie passed away in a car accident in early January, but his legacy is far from over. It lives on through events like Thursday's Swider Christmas Classic 2025 golf outing. This year, the event partnered with Charlie's dad, Jimmy Schuster.
The event raises funds for the Knoxville Amateur Hockey Association, but this year it also honored Charlie. Funds are being donated to the Charlie Schuster Scholarship Fund and the Connection Center Fig Tree Program in Charlie's honor.
'Just means a lot because, you know, we're gonna be giving to quite a few charities in his honor, and that just means a lot to keep his legacy alive and do positive things,' said Jimmy.
A fitting place to honor Charlie, as he had been preparing to play his first season on the green with Hardin Valley.
'He actually loved to golf, he was transitioning from baseball to golf, and he actually planned to golf at Hardin Valley High School that year, which is fitting because Avalon is their home course, so we're glad to have it here,' Jimmy said.
Charlie didn't have too much experience on the links, but golf came easily.
'That's the funny thing, He was just natural, his baseball swing helped him out, but he was just natural, I think his baseball swing helped him a lot,' said Jimmy.
Even though his dad still had to teach him a few things.
'He used to always tell me how good he was and his scores, and then when I first played with him, I had to teach him how to score properly,' said Jimmy.
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Part of the reason Charlie loved golf was that he got to spend time with friends and family. Who learned through Charlie, what it meant to love like Charlie, something everyone could do a little more of, 'Being kind to others especially those in need, just thinking of others, putting others before yourself… he did a lot of good things for people, went out of his way,' Jimmy said.
So the next time you pick up a golf club and tee off, let that be your reminder to love like Charlie.
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