By Donna Ruhanen, Marketing Chair, The Community Fund

May 25, 2016:  The Community Fund’s 30th annual golf outing was held at Siwanoy Country Club on Monday, May 9. The event was an overwhelming success, with 128 participants enjoying a beautiful day of golf and friendly competition while helping The Community Fund move closer to meeting its 2016 fundraising goal of $620,000.

The $130,000 raised by this year’s golf outing and auction will enable grants to be provided for the 24 non-profit organizations and community programs that provide critical services across our Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe communities.

The event kicked off with a putting competition and scramble play format that included prizes for several categories, including hole-in-one contests sponsored by Pepe Auto Group and Comizio Orthodontics.

Although none of the golfers made either of the hole-in-ones, which have eluded players for 30 years, participants still got to enjoy the stunning Pepe cars on display and will continue to dream about winning the $10,000 cash prize or their choice of a Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Infiniti, or Cadillac when they try again next year.

There were many happy winners on the day, including the first-place winning team of Kevin McNeill, Chad Parson, Drew Harwood, and Chris Scotti, as well as Dave Harris as winner of the 50/50 putting competition, sponsored by Strategic Wellness & Insurance Management Services, Inc. 

Other highlights included John O’Donnell winning “closest to the pin,” Eileen Lyon winning “most accurate drive,” Mario Forgione winning longest drive for men, and Linda Howitt winning longest drive for women.

Many thanks go to our Grand Sponsors, Pepe Auto Group and The Raffiani Family Foundation, and the many generous sponsors, supporters, and prize contributors who bought sponsorships and provided a wonderful range of prizes and auction items to bid on for players, including golf packages, vacation homes, sporting events, and vacation get-aways.

A dedicated team of volunteers pulled together this year’s event led by golf co-chairs Robert Castano and Dave Scalzo. Community Fund board chair Doug Meyer commented, “We're thrilled by the tremendous support shown by our sponsors, volunteers, and golfers. It was a great day for the local non-profit agencies that rely on The Community Fund to sustain the critical services they provide to our community.”  

Golf co-chair Dave Scalzo added, “With gorgeous weather and a spectacularly renovated Siwanoy golf course, the event came off perfectly. We set records for attendance, sponsorships, and money raised.  Thanks go to so many in the community who support the event, including all the players, the Community Fund staff, the golf outing committee, and the Siwanoy professional staff, and especially all of our sponsors, led by the Pepe Auto Group and the Phil Raffiani Family Foundation.”

The members of the 2016 golf committee, who ran the successful event, are Robert Castano, co-chair; Dave Scalzo, co-chair; Fran Harris, auction chair; Chuck Rollins, honorary co-chair; Mark Rollins, honorary co-chair; Tom Andruss, Margaret Colavita, Joseph G. Comizio, Judy M. Foley, Thomas Giordano, Andrew Korb, Peter Lacalamita, Rosetta McArdle, Kevin McNeill, Katharine Outcalt, Steven Palm, Joe Pepe (honorary), Sal Pepe (honorary), Laura and Phil Raffiani (honorary), James Rotenberg, Marty Schulman, Pirkko  Stechler, Fred Taylor, Jeff Ungvary, and Kerry Walsh.

The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe provides financial assistance and administrative support to nonprofit organizations and community programs whose programs target the health, education, and welfare needs of all residents in Bronxville, Bronxville 10708, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe. For more information, go to www.thecommunityfund.org.

Pictured here:  Winners of The Community Fund golf outing, Chris Scotti, Chad Parson, Andrew Harwood, and Kevin McNeill.

Photo courtesy Melinda Burge