Friends and fans of the College of Southern Maryland came out in full force for a day of fun at the colleges 23rd Annual Golf Classic to support what many consider as an alma mater and a community resource. The tournament, held at Swan Point Yacht and Country Club on a picture-perfect August day, raised $61,792 to support CSM Foundation initiatives which include athletics and student scholarships for credit and non-credit workforce development programs.
The tournament over the years has raised more than $700,000 for CSMs students and programs, with the generosity of local businesses, corporations and friends making it possible for CSM to make an impact in Southern Maryland. Co-chairing the golf committee this year were Foundation Director and CSM 1987 alumna Chris Rush and Mark Posten, owner of Mark Posten Excavating Company.
Over the past 20 years, this tournament has become a signature event for the College of Southern Maryland, said CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried. We are grateful to the many sponsors and players who participate year after year, among them Marrick Homes which has been the tournaments grand sponsor for the past 13 years.
During opening remarks, CSM student Carly Wedding, of Bryantown, thanked participants for their generosity. This scholarship is helping me immensely in my college journey. In these difficult economic times, college is becoming more of a dream and less of a reality for many young adults. Fortunately for me, the CSM Scholarship Foundation has made that dream a reality, Wedding said. She is an English major and spends her free time as a tutor for other students in English and as a student assistant where she is able to further explore her passion for the written language.
The day included two celebrity golfers, former Baltimore Orioles catcher and 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey as well as retired Washington Capital and Hockey Hall of Famer Rod Langway, who spent the day engaged with those attending.
Alumni golfing among the field of 144 golfers, in addition to Rush, included Tim Cameron, Greg Cockerham, Mark Cord, Dale Cornette, David Hupp, Matthew Kelly, Tara Landis, Jay Lilly, Joseph ONeill, Tom Parlett, Joe Slater, Carol Sprague, Richard Winkler and Walt Wiseman.
Student athletes from womens volleyball, soccer, and lacrosse as well as mens lacrosse were on-hand as volunteers and to provide a rousing send-off as golfers took off in their carts for the start of play. Athletics is one of the many programs that receive funding from proceeds from the Golf Classic.
Wed like to thank the many sponsors, golfers and volunteers for their generous support. It is through their generosity that the CSM Foundation is able to provide CSM students with the resources and educational opportunities needed to succeed, said CSM Development Director Martina Arnold.
In addition to Marrick Homes as Grand Tournament Sponsor, other sponsors included executive sponsor Southern Maryland Newspapers; corporate sponsor Educational Systems Federal Credit Union; mulligan sponsors DRN Environmental Solutions, LLC and MedStar St. Marys Hospital; CSM strong community partners Brookfield Residential, Community Bank of the Chesapeake, Facchina Construction Company, Inc., Mark Posten Excavating, McDonald & Eudy Printing, and SMECO, Inc.; and contest sponsors Bill Waugh & Associates Insurance Agency, Buddy Sprague Route 4 Boat and RV, Educational Systems Federal Credit Union, Dr. and Mrs. John M. Sine, Quality Built Homes, Inc., and St. Charles Companies.
Breakfast sponsors included Burger King of Charles and St. Marys counties and Safeway of La Plata. Lunch was provided by Chick-fil-A of La Plata and beverage sponsors included Bozick Distributors, Inc., Republic National Distributors, Royalle Dining Services, Inc. and Dr. and Mrs. Richard Beers.
The tournament hole-in-one sponsor was Toyota of Waldorf. In-kind sponsors included Josons Fine Jewelry and Home Boutique, Bobby Ruccis Famous Italian Deli and Doughboys, Sneades Ace Hardware, Empire Graphics, Target of La Plata, WaWa, Cameron Hills Golf Course, Baywatch Hotel & Golf in Myrtle Beach and Texas Roadhouse of La Plata.
The tournaments winning team was McDonald & Eudy Printers, Inc., with players Kevin Bowen, John Bowling, Cas Dickerson and Mike McDonald.
The second-place team was Greg Cockerham, Diane Hicks, Gordon ONeill, and Chris Simpson of Community Bank of the Chesapeake and Raley, Watts and ONeill.
The third-place team was Jimbo Fisher, Steve Matczak, Christian Ponder and Jameis Winston of Ferguson Waterworks.
The CSM Foundation 24th Annual Golf Classic will be Aug. 13, 2015. Photos from this years classic are available at http://csmphoto.zenfolio.com/23rdgolfclassic.
The CSM Foundation manages more than 100 scholarships that help provide financial assistance for merit and for students in need. Scholarship categories include nursing, business, childcare, criminal justice, communications, fine arts, engineering hospitality, social sciences, teacher education and nuclear engineering technology as well as general studies programs. In addition, students can apply for scholarships geared toward cancer survivors, returning adults and veterans as well as for non-credit trades and continuing education programs. For information on the CSM Foundation or to make a contribution to scholarship funds, visit www.csmd.edu/Foundation/.