Category: News

Want To Play Six Free Rounds Of Golf?

By the way, participants play all six rounds in one day! The 2021 100-Hole Challenge is underway. We have 56 players signed up to play soon at Weston Hills, Lago Mar, Parkland and the Country Club of Coral Springs. Interested in playing the 100 Hole Challenge? Contact Jack Bloomfield at [email protected] or at 954-740-0622. To support one of our players with a secure online pledge for their heroic golfing efforts please visit our website.

Corporate Spotlight | Comcast Business

Comcast Business has signed on to be one of the First Tee – Broward newest corporate partners as a Nine Healthy Habits Sponsor. First Tee and Comcast both share a commitment to supporting the communities they serve and specific groups including local youth and the military, including veterans, service members and military families. Over the past year, Comcast Business has also stepped up its support for another group that is critically important to the South Florida community – small businesses. In October 2020, it launched Comcast RISE, a multi-year effort to provide grants and media and technology resources to small businesses negatively impacted by recent events including the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, nearly 2,500 entrepreneurs nationwide have been selected as Comcast RISE recipients, including 103 small businesses in Florida. Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support. Comcast Enterprise is also one of the leading service providers of Fiber Optics to the mid-level to large Enterprise market. Comcast Business and Comcast Enterprise has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. Comcast is also proud to be our Chapter’s telecommunications service provider. For more information, call Ed Kolo: 954-299-6815 or email: [email protected]

New Chapter Trustee – Gregory Thompson

Our Chapter is delighted to announce our newest First Tee Trustee- Greg Thompson.  Greg has worked as a CFO with extensive global experience across many industries including chemicals, building products, medical equipment, manufacturing, technology software and services, and public accounting. Greg was appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer of KEMET in December 2018.  As a result of the recent sale of the company he will be retiring at the end of June. He will also serve as a Director of our Chapter.  Greg and his wife Kathy reside in Fort Lauderdale and they both enjoy golf and boating.  He will represent our Chapter by attending the annual First Tee Trustee meeting in early October at TPC Sawgrass and a special Trustee gathering in mid-October at Augusta National and Sage Valley. “We are delighted to welcome Greg as our newest Trustee,” said Chater President Dan Young.  “His generous gift will allow us to reach even more students and veterans in Broward County and open up new strategic opportunities for our chapter.  We also look forward to his experience and insights as a new Director.” Greg brings 25 years of experience engaging with boards of directors and audit committees to enhance shareholder value through strategy development, acquisition and divestiture initiatives, capital structure optimization and operational improvements while maintaining a focus on pragmatic risk management, prudent financial controls and fiscal discipline.

Chapter Student Selected For Game Changers Academy

Congratulations to our FIRST EVER chapter participant to be selected to a First Tee Headquarters Participant Opportunity, Ryan Shimony! Ryan was selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. this July in Philadelphia, PA. First Tee Game Changers Academy is an evolution of the longest standing participant event to address the challenges and experiences teens face in their daily lives and better equip them to build the strength of character to be game changers in their communities. This Academy is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters designed to inspire and encourage high school students on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities.

Register Now For Summer Camps

Weekly summer camps allow participants ages 6 to 18 to learn First Tee life skills through the game of golf. Intermediate and advanced camps also being offered! Please visit our website for locations and to register your children. Camp locations include: Cooper Colony Country Club Grand Palms Hotel – Spa & Golf Resort (*also available-Advanced Elite Training Program)

Ambassadors Tee It Up At Drive Shack

Chapter Ambassadors held their first event of the post-COVID-19 calendar year at Drive Shack in West Palm Beach. This event was a great opportunity for current and potential members of the group to network and get to know one another while enjoying great food, drink and contests. The Ambassadors (formerly our Young Professionals) are a group of active Palm Beach County based professionals of all ages dedicated to the mission of First Tee. The Ambassadors support our chapter through fundraising, volunteer efforts, and by broadening awareness in Palm Beach County as representatives of our local chapter. Events will be conducted throughout the year and are open to all Ambassadors and their guests to encompass a variety of golf and social venues. Also, a weekly golf league has been formed by Ambassador Board Members as an additional benefit to their members to promote growth and networking among the group. If you are interested in joining the Ambassadors, please contact David Trout, PGA, at [email protected].

Chapter Mourns The Loss Of Dr. Pam Cunningham

Our hearts go out to the family of Dr. Pamela Cunningham, a founding board member of our Chapter. She recently lost her nine-year battle with a rare form of salivary gland cancer. “Pam was a great board member for First Tee,” said Chapter Chairman Steve Rockoff. “She was a courageous woman that overcame sexism and racism in her career through grace and dignity. She was a pioneer in the medical industry and embodied the mission and values of First Tee serving our community.” Dr. Cunningham established the first African-American anesthesiologist group in Dallas, her home town. She took great pride in being a dedicated and skilled physician who provided exceptional care for her patients. She was loved by her patients. Despite the trauma of the disease and her ongoing radiation treatments, she never lost her optimism or her faith.

Harry Scores The Evans Caddie Scholarship!

Four years ago, our Chapter was approached by John Hand, a member of Seminole Golf Club about starting up a caddie program for students. The goal was to introduce students to caddying to eventually apply for a full tuition and room and board Evans Scholarship from the Western Golf Association. Chapter Participant, Harry Hutchings, began caddying his freshman year and was selected as a 2021 recipient of the Evans Scholarship. Harry attended Palm Beach Gardens High School and graduated in June. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic he caddied 65 loops at Seminole Golf Club this season. “Mr. Hand had more than just the development of high school students as caddies in mind,” said Harry. “He wanted to offer us an opportunity to enhance our entire life.” Harry’s next goal is to graduate from the University of Michigan and then go on to medical school. To learn more about the Evans Scholarship program visit www.wgaesf.org

Frenchman’s Creek Hosts Club Drive

Thank you, members and staff of Frenchman’s Creek, for the generous donation of golf bags and clubs from their end of season Club Drive to support our children and veterans. Frenchman’s Creek members support many local non-profits through their foundation and their Volunteer Match Program. Members are matched up as volunteers for local non-profit organizations and schools to help serve the needs of the community. “We really appreciate the support of our area country clubs,” said Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta. “The members of staff of Frenchman’s Creek are very generous to our organization and make a real difference in Palm Beach County.”

Fun Day For Students From Connections Education Center

To mark the end of Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month, students at Connections Education Center participated in golf lessons with their post-COVID renewed partnership with our Chapter and Drive Shack. 50 students on the spectrum enjoyed learning more about the game of golf because Drive Shack’s generosity in hosting the program. Connections Education Center is a nonprofit, Title 1 charter school in West Palm Beach that provides quality programs for students on the spectrum or who have related disabilities. Connections has partnered with our Chapter since the school was established six years ago. “We are excited to restart the program with First Tee and Drive Shack,” said Debra Johnson, Executive Director/Principal of Connections. “Our students need to get back out into the community- and thanks to the exceptional facility and staff at Drive Shack and the professionalism and patience from First Tee, this experience for our students is truly rewarding and memorable.”

Chapter Directors Marina Alex & John Hahn Kick Off 100-Hole Challenge

Are you interested in playing 6 rounds of golf? All in one day! Still interested? Chapter Directors Marina Alex and John Hahn kicked off our 2021 CMAA 100-Hole Challenge this month at The Dye Preserve. That is correct- they played 100 holes of golf in one day to support our Chapter. Their all-day golf efforts raised over $3,400 for our children and veterans. That equates to $34 per hole in donations! “What a great way to kick off this year’s 100-Hole Challenge,” said Chapter Chairman Steve Rockoff. “We appreciate Marina’s and John’s long day of golf at The Dye Preserve to raise these funds.” Donors can still support Marina’s and John’s efforts by making a secure online donation at our 100-Hole Challenge website. Marina is a veteran professional golfer on the LPGA Tour with over three million dollars in career earnings and one career victory. John is a former professional golfer who played on the European Tour and is now a business development professional at Goldman Sachs. If your club is interested in hosting the 100-Hole Challenge to support our chapter or if individuals wish to join us to play, please contact [email protected] for more information.

Thank You Jesper Parnevik

Chapter President Bobby Hendel connected with PGA Tour, Champions Tour, and European Tour winner, Jesper Parnevik. Jesper and his wife, Mia, were interested in making a very large donation of golf equipment and clothing to our children and veterans. Jesper, who has played professionally throughout the world since 1986 and won 15 times, recently decided to relocate his family home and began the process of organizing and cataloging 35 years of golf equipment. The Parneviks donated over 500 individual clubs, 49 sets of irons and hundreds of pairs of shoes and clothing items. It took chapter staff multiple trips and a large truck to pick everything up. Pictured left above (left to right) loading the truck: Blake Robbins, Development Director David Trout, Jesper, Chapter President Bobby Hendel and Mia. “The students really enjoy wearing the clothes,” said Bobby Hendel. “Jesper donated hats, shirts and pants and they fit many of our participants.” Pictured right above: Students from the West Palm Beach Police Athletic League show off their inner Parnevik with Jesper’s under the brim logos.