Category: Broward

CHAPTER WINS CMAA 100-HOLE CHALLENGE FOR FIRST TIME

It took a few years, but we finally broke through and took the crown as the non-profit to raise the most money participating in the annual Seminole Region Club Manager’s Association 100-Hole Challenge. Each year, clubs and supporters help us raise funds for programs by playing 100 holes in one day (some players take a little longer!).

Our three chapters (Palm Beaches, Treasure Coast and Broward) combined to raise a winning total of $201,183. With our first-place prize, matching grant and other funds raised by CMAA we received an additional $22,000 which will split among our three chapters. Look out for us in 2022!

This fundraising initiative only works with the help of participating clubs and players. If you or your club are interested in participating in 2022, please contact [email protected] for more information.

Pictured above, left to right, accepting the first-place prize: Anthony Coletta- Treasure Coast Director of Operations, Carl Mistretta- Executive Director, Emily Valentine- Director of Program Development and David Trout- Development Director.

OUR STUDENTS PLAY IN KIWANIS CLUB TOURNEY

The Kiwanis Club of Tamarac invited three Chapter participants and a Coach for a complimentary foursome to their yearly golf tournament and fundraiser.

Students from our Leadership Series in partnership with the PGA TOUR Superstore were selected to play that included Jasiah Bowie, Ryan Shimony, Isabella Rubio and Coach Robert Ferzoco (pictured above middle). The event was held in February at the Woodmont Country Club in Tamarac. The golf tournament was an 18-hole scramble where our team posted a score of 61, including 9 birdies in a row. Chapter participant Isabella Rubio (pictured above right) won longest drive in the woman’s category. 

A special thanks to the Kiwanis Tamarac Foundation Golf Committee for this special invitation for our students and Coach Robert. Thank you Linda Brown-Doriot, Michele McMahon, Wayne Linton, Neal Glassman, and Aneatra King.

CLUB DRIVE WEEKEND APRIL 23RD AND 24TH

Please mark your calendars for April 23rd and 24th. It is time to clean out the garage and your trunk of your old golf equipment. Through the generosity of local golfers and country clubs, we receive thousands of donated golf clubs each year. Some can be used by our high school students and veterans, but many are too big or too stiff for children. We partner with Blake’s Golf Shop to sell the remaining clubs and the funds raised help us to buy child appropriate clubs and to support our mission and programs.

Club Drive Weekend is open to all golfers and country clubs. Golfers can make their donation at any PGA TOUR Superstore location or any of our drop off locations.

Country clubs promote the weekend to their members and pile up the donated clubs in the cart barn. We will then come by the following week to pick everything up. An IRS donation receipt is provided to all donors.

“We have about one-half of the courses in our territory helping out with Club Drives each year,” said Chairman Dan Young. “Area golfers and club members really enjoy cleaning out their trunks and garages and donating their old clubs and bags to a great cause that serves thousands of children and veterans in South Florida.”

Country clubs interested in participating or hosting a Club Drive this year should contact [email protected] for more information.

FIRST TEE PARTNERS WITH THE ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE

Our Chapter has begun a new partnership with the Orange Bowl Committee and launched a community outreach program at the Lauderdale Lakes Middle School. The program is scheduled to introduce First Tee golf and life skills curriculum to five middle schools in Broward County over a two week time frame. Twenty-nine students attended the class taught by First Tee Coaches Karen Michaels and Robert Ferzoco.

Special thanks to Terry De’Marcus, Coordinator of the Orange Bowl Committee Outreach Program for helping us develop this new partnership to serve the students of Broward County.

CHAPTER PRESIDENT DAN YOUNG ACCEPTS CHAIRMAN ROLE

Our Chapter of First Tee falls under the umbrella of First Tee – Florida Gold Coast (FGC), one of the largest First Tee organizations in the country serving Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties. FGC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of representatives from the Broward, Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast chapters. Dan Young, President of the Broward Chapter accepted the role of FGC Chairman at the Board of Directors’ Annual Meeting in December.

“During his tenure as the Broward chapter President, Dan has elevated all aspects of our goals and successes,” said Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta. “I have learned a great deal from him personally. As our new FGC Chairman he has accepted the role of serving the entire organization and our thousands of children and veteran students in South Florida.”

Dan is the CEO at Young Consulting Group. Their services include Outsourced Accounting, CFO Services and Consulting for owners of privately held companies. Dan also serves as COO at Stellar Public Adjusting Services. They advocate on behalf of home and business owners to ensure they receive everything they are entitled to under their policy.

Dan is active in community service, where he serves on the board of several organizations, including First Tee – Florida Gold Coast, First Tee – Broward, Lutheran Services Florida, Tower Club Fort Lauderdale, HANDY, the Legends at Weston Hills Condominium Association, and Weston Hills Country Club.

He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami, a Masters in Accounting and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. Dan has been a resident of the Fort Lauderdale area since 1998 where he presently lives with his wife Nayibe. He is committed to lifelong learning and is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle through exercise and golf.

NEW OUTREACH PROGRAM BEGINS AT CHILDREN’S HARBOR

Our Chapter recently began a new outreach program to serve the students of Children’s Harbor at their main campus located in Pembroke Pines. This new 9-week program has 10 participants.

Established in 1996, Children’s Harbor is a nationally accredited child welfare organization that is dedicated to three very specific areas within the foster care system: Keeping siblings together while they are in foster care, strengthening families who are in crisis within our community and guiding teens who have “aged out” of the foster care system alone.

NATALIE TIES FOR 3RD IN SFPGA

Natalie Sosa tied for 3rd place in the girls’ age group 12 – 14 at a recent South Florida PGA Links Tour event held at the Jupiter Dunes Golf Club in Jupiter, FL.  

“My game has approved because of Coach Sean,” said Natalie. “I really appreciate his coaching, guidance and leadership which has helped me increase my confidence and golf skills. Thank you to the entire First Tee organization for your unwavering support and for always going above and beyond for the students.”

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR PROGRAMS

Enroll your children in our First Tee programs as golf is the sport of business and the sport of a lifetime!

Our program locations include:
– Davie Golf Club
– Hollywood Beach Golf Club
– Parkland Golf & Country Club
– PGA TOUR Superstore – Plantation
– Pompano Beach Golf Club
– Cooper Colony Golf & Country Club
– The Club at Weston Hills
– The Bridges at Springtree Golf Club
– Eagle Trace Golf Club

For more information and to register, please visit our website.

MISSION UNITED VETERANS – JANUARY MONTHLY GOLF OUTING

Chapter veterans are invited monthly for an 18-hole golf outing. This is an event where Broward veterans play a round at rotating golf courses in Broward. January’s event was played at the Country Club of Coral Springs in Coral Springs.

Pictured above: The participants were Dail Revish, Doc Duberry, Gary Smith, Charlie Schmidt, Tom Melville, Chris Ellis and Jack Bloomfield. Three of the veterans played with Jack Bloomfield and the others three veterans played with Pro Emeritus, Bill Freising. Special thanks to Bill for hosting this month’s outing. 

Our veterans’ golf programs and outings are generously funded with a grant from The Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. Foundation.

SHREY WINS PARTICIPANT OF THE YEAR

Shrey, now 15 years old, joined our Chapter six years ago and attends our program at The Club at Weston Hills. Our participants progress through many levels by demonstrating inner strength, character, and the life and golf skills they have learned. Shrey has reached the Eagle level, which emphasizes setting goals and making them a reality. Shrey attends Cypress Bay High School and holds a 4.2 GPA. Shrey participated in our chapters 100-Hole Challenge fundraiser and raised over $3,000 dollars! Congrats Shrey!

GOLF MOURNS THE LOSS OF ROSIE

James Rosaforte III, 66, of Jupiter, joined the Lord on Jan. 11, 2022 after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. 

“He was golf’s best friend and a big supporter of our organization and our students,” said Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta. “He was a dear friend to me and served as our Honorary Vice Chairman. We will miss him greatly.”

Tim, as his mom called him, attended Brewster High School and became the second person in his family to attend college, at the University of Bridgeport and the University of Rhode Island, where he also played on the football teams. 

Tim graduated from URI in 1977 with a Bachelors of Science in Journalism. HE moved to Tampa where he worked as a sportswriter for the Tampa Times and Clearwater Sun, before moving to Fort Lauderdale in 1981 to work for the Sun-Sentinel. Tim married his wife, Genevieve Stewart, in Fort Lauderdale in 1983. They moved to Palm Beach County after their first daughter Genna was born in 1987, which is when he started writing for the Palm Beach Post. Their second daughter, Molly, was born in 1991. 

Tim started writing for Sports Illustrated in 1994, then Golf World/Golf Digest in 1996 as his family moved to Jupiter. Tim also started working as a TV announcer for Sunshine Network in the 1990s. He appeared on PGA Tour Sunday on USA Network from 2003-2007 before he became a regular on Golf Channel, where he served as the sport’s first true “insider.”

Tim covered almost 150 majors and 17 Ryder Cups, wrote four books, won dozens of writing awards, served as president of the American Golf Writer’s Association, and received the PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Tim retired in late 2019, not long after he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. 

Among his many honors: The PGA of America made him their 12th honorary member and the first journalist; he received the 2021 Memorial Golf Journalism Award from Jack and Barbara Nicklaus; his hometown Honda Classic named the Media Room after him and created the Tim Rosaforte Distinguished Writers’ Award; and the University of Rhode Island endowed a scholarship in Tim’s name in the neuroscience department. 

Tim is survived by his wife Genevieve, daughters Genna (Nick) Bezek and Molly (Mason) Colling; grandchildren Graham, Finn and Saylor James; brothers Andy (Kim) Rosaforte and Michael (Kathi) Rosaforte, sister Shirlyn (Scott) Malley and his many nieces and nephews.

The family will hold a celebration of life Thursday, Feb. 17, (2pm) at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens on 5343 Northlake Boulevard. The service will be live-streamed at funerals.online.church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to Nantz National Alzheimer Center | Houston Methodist, and the Tim Rosaforte Scholarship, University of Rhode Island Foundation and Alumni Engagement, P.O. Box 1700, Kingston, R.I., 02881