Troutville, Va. – The third annual Kip Nininger Benefit golf tournament at Botetourt Golf and Swim club, included a special presentation. Not just another big scholarship check, but the 100th check handed out to one of our local athletes. Botetourt golf Pro Jeff Sprinkel introduced Kip’s dad--Chris Nininger to award the scholarship in his son’s name. Today’s winner Christiansburg wrestler Parker Ferrell. A standout athlete, Ferrell is a Virginia Tech commit. He is currently the 7th ranked heavyweight nationally in the 2024 recruiting class by FloWrestling, and someone with a personal connection to Kip.
“I’ve always heard about Kip. I’ve always known him as a great wrestler that was way older than me, and I would see him every now and then Adam’s uncle’s house and he was always like an older brother figure to me. Someone I looked up to in the practice room, and outside of the practice room,” Ferrell says.
A lot of people that knew him closely knew that he was very giving. Even after he passed - People would step up and tell me that ‘he helped me out of the deepest, darkest moments of my life.’ He paid people’s electric bills. He was 19 and doing those good things, so this giving, and still reaching people and helping --really is something that’s part of his heart and being a giving person,” Kip’s father, Chris Nininger says.
The 3rd annual Kip Nininger benefit golf tournament raised $59,460 dollars for the scholarship fund.