Cecilia McCormick was flipping through the pages of Golf For Women magazine one day last spring when a full-page ad for Rally For A Cure caught her eye.

“It was talking about the fun you can have while doing some good for your community,” she said. “And it got me to thinking. I do spend a lot of time on the course, so there must be some good I can do.”

After some thought, McCormick, a member of the semi-private Lochmere Golf Club, approached club manager Steve Ostroff and told him she would like to begin such an event.

Begun in 1996, Rally For A Cure is a nationwide fundraising initiative that benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Ten years ago, 356 golf clubs and more than 16,000 golfers participated. In 2005, the number had risen to 3,248 clubs nationwide and more than 170,000 golfers. In that span, more than $20 millions has been raised.

So McCormick did not think it would be difficult to recruit the minimum 15 players required to qualify her event as a Rally For A Cure fundraiser.

“Steve said he was fine with it, that we could do it on Thursday morning in our ladies league,” McCormick said.

But McCormick, 45, who began playing golf two years ago to spend more time with her two sons — Jeff, 17, and Joseph, 14 — envisioned an event of a bigger magnitude. The more she and Ostroff discussed the event’s potential, the more the idea grew.

“We’ve wanted to do something like this for a while,” Ostroff said, “and the more Mrs. McCormick and I discussed it, the more we realized a partnership would be great, that this could be something that would really benefit the community.”

Ostroff eventually set aside the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 28, for the event. Neither McCormick nor Ostroff expected what occurred next.

“First of all, for Steve to close the course on a Saturday afternoon — the course’s prime time — was really a kind gesture,” McCormick said. “So I initially thought we would get about 60 golfers.”

But the number rapidly grew from 60 to 100 to 120 players. The response was so quick and so large that Ostroff agreed to closing the course for a morning shotgun start, as well. As of Thursday, Ostroff said that 188 players had committed to play and that 32 morning slots still remained.

“This being the first year, we are also planning for future years, which means we really want people to come out and enjoy themselves. And the value compared to what people would come and spend is a no-brainer,” Ostroff said.

Ostroff said that the value of the goodie bags alone is about $100. Carolina Catering will provide lunch and Bonefish Grill will serve dinner. There will also be 100 raffle prizes valued at between $50 and $500, along with 10 silent auction items.

Ostroff added that the week leading up to the event would be Breast Cancer Awareness Week at the club. Women will be able to play for $25 and $1 from every bucket of range balls purchased will be donated to the cause.

By day’s end, McCormick believes her early, conservative figure of raising between $5,000 and $7,500 will easily be eclipsed. Ostroff has $10,000 as a reachable goal, but would not be surprised if that total was exceeded.

“This has far exceeded my expectations. I never would have thought that this event, which is in its first year, remember, would have generated such a positive response,” said McCormick, who added that all monies raised would be presented to the Triangle affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation located in Durham.

Ostroff has been encouraged by the community’s willingness to participate, either through playing or donating services.

“My goal for Lochmere has always been to be a part of community, where we can do some good and where families can come and have fun,” he said. “This fits into that goal.”