I never would have imagined when we started planning our eighth annual golf tournament in February that we would break last year’s fundraising record – but we did!
Gathering together at the Scranton Municipal Golf Course to honor the memory of the late Mr. Joseph N. Connor, this year our golfers and sponsors donated more than $28,000 to the Little Sisters of the Poor. That is just incredible! The outpouring of generosity so many of you show to us is overwhelming and your gifts greatly help us in our mission of providing care for the elderly poor in our home.
As the tournament was about to begin, we started our day like we do on any other day – with prayer. After Mother Maureen welcomed everyone to the tournament, Father Charles Connor, who is the son of Mr. Connor, provided all of us with a special blessing in Latin. After we all blessed ourselves, the Kearns Brothers Pipe and Drum band played several songs on the bagpipes declaring the tournament officially underway.
As the golfers took to the course and navigated its challenges, they replenished their energy throughout the day with fresh fruit, cold water, cookies, potato chips, and pretzels from our pre-tournament refreshment reception courtesy of DiMare Fresh, Inc., Nature’s Way Purewater, Wegman’s, and UTZ Quality Foods, Inc. And Lord knows they would need lots of energy to try to sink a hole-in-one on hole number two to win the brand new car that was up for grabs courtesy of Matt Burne Honda. Unfortunately none of our golfers could land the car this year, but hopefully they’ll join us again next year to try again. After all, practice make perfect.
After playing for just over four hours, 90 golfers returned to the clubhouse to enjoy a buffet dinner of caesar salad, ziti, meatballs, sausage and peppers, chicken, and beverages. Following dinner, Mother Maureen presented Father Connor with a beautiful plaque affixed with a medallion of St. Jeanne Jugan in his father’s honor. Father was so pleased to receive this in his dad’s name, and I am sure he will place it somewhere very special.
Our golfers really had a great day on the links, but none of it would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our tournament co-chairmen Patrick J. Sheridan, Gene Cosgrove, Chris James, and Bob Blaker as well as our dedicated committee members and volunteers: Marilouise Agnone Ruane, Alieen Alunni, Debbi Bean, Joan Blaker, Lisa Blaker, Charlie Butler, Kathy Campion, Karen Caruso, Jim Conaboy, Kevin Conaboy, Mike Crossin, Mary Densevich, Theresa Durkin, Tracy Genell, Bill Hughes, Kathy Hughes, MaryCarol Kanton, Pete Kanton, Deacon Ed Kelly, Ann Kwak, Barb Politowski, Pat Salmon, Kim Simchak, Janet Skibinski, Cathy Skrutski, Donna Solon, Tim Speicher, Dave Tressler, and Joyce Tressler.
We would also like to give a special note of thanks to WNEP TV-16 and Lamar Advertising for all of the generous amount of publicity they provided about the tournament as well as WNEP TV-16 sports director and anchor Jim Coles and investigative reporter Dave Bohman for taking the time out of their busy schedules to share the day with us.
To download and view our program from the event please click here. The program lists the sponsors, benefactors, and prize donors whose generosity helped make this event possible.
