Fulton Golf Outing Honors
Big-Hearted Man
John Fulton, Sr. was a one-of-a-kind guy. A member of Huntington High School's Class of 1973 and a big-hearted person with a soft spot for someone in need, he was a familiar figure around town.
Standing on the sidelines cheering for Blue Devil teams, sitting in the auditorium watching concerts and school plays and supporting countless charitable endeavors, Mr. Fulton was a passionate presence wherever he went.
When he lost his long battle with multiple myeloma on August 27, 2009 at 55 years old, Mr. Fulton's passing was a devastating blow to his family and wide circle of friends and business associates.
Husband, father, mentor, benefactor, Mr. Fulton wore many hats and filled each role to perfection. Those who were closest to him still find it hard to believe their good friend is gone. He left behind his wife Maureen and four children, Meghan, John Jr., Grace and Alexandra.
Over the years, Mr. Fulton became a very recognizable figure at Huntington sports games, school plays, homecoming festivities and an assortment of events. He was a Blue Devil fan through and through and could be a loud one if the circumstances warranted it.
Mr. Fulton owned and operated the Huntington Pennysaver Group. As a successful businessman he was in a position to help others in need and he didn't hesitate to do just that whenever he could.
Out of the heartache of Mr. Fulton's passing came the creation of the John F. Fulton Foundation. The organization will hold its second annual golf outing and dinner on Wednesday, October 19 at Crab Meadow Golf Club in Northport. The day will begin with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Lunch will be served on the course. A cocktail hour will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner to follow.
The fee for individual golfers is set at $200 and foursome is priced at $800. Those wishing to attend only the dinner can do so for $100. A variety of sponsorship opportunities is also available.
For more information about sponsoring the outing or the Fulton Foundation and how you can help, call John Fulton, Jr. at (631) 897-3947 or send an e-mail to john.f.fultonfoundation@gmail.com.
Organizers have spent months putting this month's outing together and developing an experience that participants are sure to remember. Last year's event produced an enjoyable time for all, even those who aren't regular golfers.
"A change of venue and putting it later in the season gave us some more time to thoroughly plan this outing," said Alexandra Fulton, Mr. Fulton's daughter and a member of Huntington High School's Class of 2008. "We were able to make sure that there were no other golf outings which would interfere with our own."
Last year's outing took six months to plan and was ultimately wildly successful. More than $10,000 was raised and in turn donated to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. "We knew the golf outing was an event we would hold for many years to come, so the planning for the outing this year has been much more thorough," Ms. Fulton said. "In the process of planning this year's outing, we have been focusing on refining all of the details to ensure that the event will run as smoothly as possible."
Prizes will be presented for low net, closest to pin and longest drive. "This year's outing is surely going to be another great day of friends and family uniting for a common cause," said Ms. Fulton, a senior at Loyola University Maryland. "The memory of my father is something that we never want to forget, and by celebrating his life through this event, we are keeping his spirit alive."
The evening dinner that will follow the golf outing will be celebration of Mr. Fulton's life. At last year's event guests reminisced about his love for golf and told funny stories about him and their relationships with him. More than anything the day is about friendships.
"My family went through a long period of mourning over my father, but we knew that in the end we had to celebrate his life because he was such a great father," Ms. Fulton said. "The one way we knew we could celebrate his life was through a golf outing, which was his favorite hobby."
Ms. Fulton interned at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation last summer. "It was nice to be able to make the connection with the foundation that we were donating our money to," she said. "It was truly inspiring to be able to speak with the families of myeloma patients and hear their stories. This really helped me in my ability to share my story with others and use that to impact their lives."