Despite the chilly weather, our 3rd Annual Golf Classic, held last month at the beautiful Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead, MA, was a hit! Our golfers, sponsors, and staff stepped out of the office and gathered on the greens for a day full of memories, laughter, and unwavering support for youth with disabilities.
Event Co-Chairs Andy and Rose Bentley, Marblehead residents, started the PYD Golf Classic in 2019 and once again, threw another wonderful event. Andy is a PYD board member and Rose’s sister, Drew Anne, was born with a chromosomal abnormality and disability. They know firsthand how challenging navigating ableist barriers and feeling excluded can be for disabled individuals and families, and they wanted to do what they could to make it easier for them by fundraising for PYD. The Golf Classic is a community event built to bring attention to PYD’s mission and to focus on driving disability inclusion in the workplace.
A Beautiful Day for Golf
The day started by golfers checking in with PYD staff members Courtney and Lindsay and gathering with their team. All participants received a goodie bag with a travel mug, bluetooth speaker, and golf balls as well as a bagged lunch – with a choice of ham, roast beef, turkey, or caprese – from PYD staff members Antonela and Nicole. Everyone enjoyed warming up with a cup of coffee before the start of the tournament!
From there, event co-chair Andy Bentley and golf professional Alex Glover gave a few opening remarks and explained the rules of the course before the shotgun start.
Throughout the next several hours, our golfers had a great day golfing on each hole and participating in various contests, including a putting contest for $50,000 and a Million Dollar Shootout.
After a cold day on the course, our golfers, along with their family and friends, enjoyed the warmth of the stunning clubhouse for our cocktail reception. While being served a buffet-style dinner, our guests enjoyed listening to folk songs performed by Derek Rando, a friend of Andy and Rose Bentley.
Following the dinner, our new Executive Director, Tere Ramos, shared a few words, as did Andy. With our hearts (and stomachs!) full, we ended the day with plenty of laughs, shared memories, and excitement about the impact the event made on our programs.
We’re grateful for all who participated in this year’s tournament and are already counting down the days until next year!
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
After raising over $105,000 last year, we’re pleased to have raised $130,000 this year. This was made entirely possible thanks to our many wonderful sponsors, who supported us in a variety of ways.
Hole-in-One Sponsors
Andrew & Rose Bentley | Schawbel Group, LLC
Birdie Sponsors
BabcockPower | The Callan Family Fund | CrossCountry Consulting | Edwin Callan Charitable Trust
19th Hole Sponsors
Van & Kim Gurley | Lynn Gonsalves & Tim Nichols
Contest Sponsors
Stephen Puzzo | Tonneson + Co.
Tee & Green Sponsors
North Shore and More | Lori & George Andrews | Casale Law Offices | Downeast Cider | Groom Construction | Edelstein | EY | Van & Kim Gurley | Metron | Mark Rocca & Family | Saphier Events | Special Needs Companies | Wolfe Builders
Show Your Support
We’re still accepting donations and would be honored to have your support. Stay tuned for October 2, 2023, when we’ll host our 4th Annual Golf Classic!