The best way to describe the recent Huntington Booster Club golf outing is to call it a “hole-in-one.” Yes, it was that good. A sellout crowd of 112 golfers turned out for the affair at the Huntington Crescent Club and even more attended the after party.
Last week’s outing marked the Booster Club’s first foray into golf in many years. Participants included a mix of alumni, parents, teachers, current and past Blue Devil coaches and their spouses and even a handful of recent graduates. Some of the golfers came from out-of-state just to play with classmates and support their alma mater.
Huntington parent Trish Rongo approached Booster Club President Timothy Pillion last fall and offered to spearhead an early summer golf outing. Getting such an event going from scratch is no easy task, especially in an age where many established outings have been discontinued for lack of interest.
Mrs. Rongo went to work and what she managed to develop with the help of an assortment of fellow Booster Club volunteers was nothing short of splendid. As for the course, the front nine played tough, but the back nine was quite forgiving according to the golfers.
“Trish did a spectacular job of coordinating the event,” Mr. Pillion said. “Organizing and pulling off such an outing is a real challenge so what she was able to accomplish with our other volunteers was very impressive.” The day’s proceeds totaled about $15,000, which will be plowed back into the Booster Club’s grant program.
Booster Club volunteers pitched in like they always do to insure that everyone had a good time on an off the course. The event kicked off at 11:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast followed by a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. Play continued until about 5 p.m. when an awards reception and after party was held in the outdoor deck area near the pool.
Some of the alumni golfers had such a good time that they encouraged school officials to include them in future events and expressed a willingness to support the Blue Devil athletic program. They explained that they feel much more of a connection to Huntington High School than they do to their respective college.
Course contests included two “closest to the pin” opportunities, “longest drive” and “hole-in-one” for a lease on a car. An assortment of raffles donated by local businesses also helped make the day successful. The after party included various hot and cold dishes.
In addition to Mrs. Rongo and Mr. Pillion, the Booster Club’s corps of volunteers included Sue Gerbavsits, Tiffany Annunziata, Michele Deegan, Erik Krisch, Julie LaBella, Patti Weber, Joe Mattio, Kelly Paci, Meredith Hassett, Lauren Meagher, Bari Fehrs, Betsy Giamo and Ed McGuinness.
The culmination of the Booster Club’s membership raffle came when tickets were pulled for $20,000, $3,500 and $1,500 prizes with Kerry Cusack, Dominick Servidio and Barbara Cutrone being the lucky winners.
Mrs. Rongo said the Booster Club appreciates the tremendous support it received from the following businesses: Appliance World, Christopher’s Courtyard Café, Finnegans Restaurant & Tap Room, Toast, Gino’s Pizza, ProHealth Dental, Scentsationals, Francine’s Boutique, Interthread Embroidery, Huntington Stand Up Paddle, The Village Artist, Dr. Inna Gellerman, Huntington Crescent Club, Steel Equities and Dr. James Paci.
Brosnan & Hegler LLP sponsored the putting green and Toyota of Huntington sponsored the hole-in-one prize. (Class of 1987 alum Michael Brown arranged Toyota of Huntington’s support.)
“It was such a great day that we are already planning to have another golf outing next year on the last Monday in June,” Mr. Pillion said.
