Our Chapter recently lost two dear friends and supporters who knew each other well and loved and respected the game of golf.
Richard Ekey
(pictured above left) was simply the ultimate grinder. After 14 months in ICU, he was called to the Lord on March 24th. He learned his love of golf from his father and felt compelled to share it with others, including our Chapter students and veterans.
Richard was a beacon of hope to many. He was a member of the Christ Fellowship Church, Founder of the Men’s Branch of Triumph over Suffering, Co-founder of the Cancer Support Group of Palm Beach Gardens, Board member of the Big Heart Brigade, Member of the Board of Directors for the Gathering Palm Beach County, Former Officer, Board Member, Chairman and Class of 2000 Hall of Fame Member of the Palm Beach County Golf Association.
“Richard was my mentor and one of my closest friends,” said Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta. “He was my first volunteer and cut the fairways to help out in my early days before we could afford full-time maintenance staff. Riding the mower was his time for meditation and to speak with the Lord. He pushed our entire staff to raise the bar and become a leading First Tee chapter in the country.”
There will be a celebration of life for Richard at First Tee – Palm Beaches in Dyer Park for Richard this Friday, April 23rd at 6:00pm. Please contact
[email protected] for more information.
Larry Bush
(pictured above right), covered golf in Palm Beach County for more than six decades, died in his sleep on March 19th at the age of 87.
The longtime West Palm Beach resident started working for the Palm Peach Evening Times in 1958. Bush also worked for newspapers in Tampa, Fort Pierce and Cocoa before becoming a freelance writer in 1981.
If there was a local golf tournament in the county, Bush was invariably there covering it. His knowledge, history and perspective of the game made him a favorite among golfers, from legends such as Jack Nicklaus to the average amateur or PGA Professional.
His work was honored by the Golf Writers Association of America, the Florida Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association, the Florida Press Association, and he also received the Harry C. Eckhoff Award from the National Golf Foundation.
Mr. Bush was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, and into the Palm Beach County Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
Country Club of Florida
The Country Club of Florida held a 9-hole ladies golf event with proceeds benefitting our girls’ programs. Over $5,500 was raised and lots of clubs were donated. Special thanks to member Sherry Fleming for assisting with the coordination.
Banyan Golf Club
Chapter alumna and our Program and Marketing Coordinator, Emily Valentine, was invited to Banyan Golf Club to attend the ladies closing lunch and accept over $1,700 in donations and a big pile of donated clubs and equipment. Special thanks to member Sue Epstein for helping with this year’s Club Drive and fundraising.
St Andrews Country Club
St. Andrews Country Club Ladies Golf Association held a 9-hole event fundraiser and a Club Drive in February raising over $1,300 dollars and collecting a haul of clubs and bags. Special thanks to Golf Professional Terry Farino, PGA for organizing the event.
Florida Wildlife Commission Commissioner Gary Nicklaus contacted our Chapter to propose a golf and fishing pilot program. As a professional golfer and avid fisherman, Gary understands that the lakes on golf courses are typically rarely fished. Combining golf and fishing presents an incredible opportunity to bring together two sports that share in outdoor recreation.
FYCCN aims to uphold Florida’s outdoor heritage by educating and empowering Florida’s youth and educators with outdoor know-how and conservation concepts. Chapter students are ready to start fishing again once COVID is over and we can again visit area golf courses. 
Zack Anderton – Coach of the YearZack has been a First Tee Coach for 4 years and runs multiple classes during the week at Dyer Park. Zack is a graduate of Keiser University and currently in the PGA program. In a challenging year, Zack persevered and safely delivered many First Tee programs to our participants.
Alex Holland – Participant of the YearAlex attends our Saturday morning Special Needs class. He loves to play the game of golf and interact and socialize with his peers and coaches. Alex is always willing to help his friends and encourage them to try their very best at golf and life.
Tony Mansueti – Volunteer of the YearTony has been volunteering for 3 years on Saturday mornings with the Special Needs class. He also has two children, Savannah and Anthony have been apart of our chapter for 10+ years. Tony is always willing to go above and beyond, with a smile on his face. We are so thankful for him! Well deserved Tony!
