Category: Broward

Wine Tasting At Weston Hills

Chapter Directors Dan Young and Scott Haralson are wine enthusiasts and co-chaired a wine tasting experience benefiting our Chapter at The Club at Weston Hills.  Over 100 supporters enjoyed a tasting of 5 different wines produced by Far Niente Family of Wines and Vineyards.  Hors d’oeuvres were served, and the evening featured live musical entertainment.  Wines served were: Far Niente Chardonnay, Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon, Bella Union Cabernet Sauvignon, Nickel and Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon, and Far Niente Dolce.

At the event, Trina Robinson, current anchor at NBC 6 News received our Chapter Game Changer award for her service and dedication to our local community.  She is a three-time Emmy® award-winning journalist and weekday news anchor.  Trina is the first African-American to ever hold a TV weather position in South Florida and has garnered two Emmy® awards for her contributions to the station’s hurricane specials.  Check out the story Trina presented on NBC 6 News about the event.

Dan Young Inducted Into 1457

The Society of 1457 recognizes those generous individuals that have included our organization in their planned giving.  Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta and retired Director of Operations Jack Bloomfield are both 1457 members. They recently welcomed Director Dan Young into the Society of 1457 at our Fall Tournament.  Please visit our website for more information on our planned giving program or contact [email protected].

Second Place Showing At COMTO Tourney

Team First Tee – Broward finished in second place with a score of 14 under par in the 3rd Annual COMTO of Fort. Lauderdale Golf Tournament at Jacaranda Golf Club. Our Director of Operations Sean Kicker, PGA was joined by Chapter participants, Audrey Bacic, Isabella Rubio, and Chloe Christofidis.

SHOUTOUT to COMTO Fort. Lauderdale Chapter President, Rogelio Hendricks, Jr. for extending to us the invitation to play in this year’s event.

The Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) is the nation’s only multimodal advocacy organization for minority professionals and businesses in the transportation industry.  Home-based in Washington D.C. and with over thirty chapters spread across the country, COMTO holds a unique voice for minority professionals and businesses in transportation.  Among its initiatives are a national scholarship program and ongoing professional development and training opportunities.  Members include individuals, transportation agencies, academic institutions, industry non-profits and Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs).  From highways and roads to mass transit systems, subways and rail systems, and port authorities to airports, COMTO members represent every level of the transportation industry.

Fall Tourney A Great Success

We had a fun day at Deer Creek at our annual Fall Tournament.  The course was awesome, the weather beautiful and the food delicious.  Chapter students Elisa Hernandez, David Sandino and Maya Jos were positioned on par 3s and hit shots for our supporters.

First place net was won by the team of Gerry Litrento, Gary Cohen, Gary Riley and Mike Anderson with a score of 57 (pictured below left).

First place gross was won for the third year in a row by the team of Braden List, Colin List, Wes Hitchcock and Thomas Tabere with a score of 64 (pictured below right).

First Tee Fall Registration In Full Swing

Our Fall programs are under way.  Enroll your children at one of our 14 Broward County Program Locations. 

For more information and to register, please visit our website by scanning the QR code.

“We are very appreciative for everyone that helped this event be such a great success,” said Chapter President Greg Thompson. “Deer Creek’s staff, our sponsors, my fellow Directors, the many players, and our students and staff made for a fun day of golf and competition.”

Huge SHOUT OUT to our sponsors:

Participant Spotlight: Nathan Castro

Nathan showed interest in golf at a very young age, but he never had a chance to formally learn until summer 2022.  Nathan completed two months of summer clinics and expressed interest in starting to play in tournaments.

Nathan was determined to win in 2023 and asked for a private coach to help develop his swing.  Nathan’s father found Chapter Coach Christopher Cupp, PGA.  Since then, Nathan has developed his game to the next level.  He has participated in several junior SFPGA and U.S. Kids golf tournaments. He also competed in the JGA of Broward tournaments where he won 4 medals (2 golds and 2 silvers) and 3 fifth place finishes. These are impressive accomplishments for someone who started playing golf just a year ago!

Nathan has set his sights on more gold medals in the future. His long-term goal is to go to college and play golf.  He also aspires to become a pilot. We know that his determination and true grit will help him to achieve these goals! 

Sponsor Spotlight: FJGC

Did you know that the “Golf Capital of the World” license plate supports junior golf?  When you purchase this license plate you are supporting our chapter and junior golf programs across the state of Florida.

It is very easy to change over to the FJGC license plate when you renew your vehicle registration either by mail or online.  Just check or click the box for the FJGC plate!

For more information, please visit the FJGC website.

Zoe And Wylie Had A Blast At Pebble!

Chapter students Zoe Shamy and Wylie “Coyote” Inman played in the ultimate First Tee student opportunity – the Pure Insurance Championship.  They played in this televised event each paired with a PGA Tour Champions professional at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.  Zoe was paired with Ken Duke and the Coyote played with Ernie Els.

The three-day event was televised on Golf Channel.  Both students made the cut and they both finished tied for 10th place.  This is the first time our chapter has sent two students to the Pure Insurance Championship.

“This was unbelievable!” said Wylie.  “Three rounds at Pebble and two at Spyglass playing with Mr. Els was an incredible experience.  He taught me a lot about my game.”  Added Zoe: “Mr. Duke was so nice to me and my family.  I have experienced some very special opportunities through First Tee, but the Pure Insurance Championship is now at the top of the list.”

Want your child to play at Pebble Beach? Enroll in a First Tee program. It is the only way to qualify.

Sponsor Spotlight: Comcast Business

Comcast and NBCUniversal are committed to giving back to the communities our customers, employees, and viewers call home. Through a network of nonprofit partnerships and innovative programs, we invest in lasting change, foster diversity and inclusion, and keep communities connected.

Special thanks to Chapter Director Ed Kolo of Comcast Business for their continued support of our mission and programs.