Record-Breaking Day as Golfers Raise $100,000 to Drive Out Hunger
Under bright skies and an unusual cool breeze for North Carolina’s typical August heat, nearly 200 golfers teed off at Cary’s Prestonwood Country Club for the 8th Annual Drive Out Hunger Golf Outing. The beautiful weather mirrored the spirit of the event. This worthy cause fueled Catholic Charities volunteers and golfers alike to enjoy the event from registration to reception.
A photo opportunity, light breakfast, and beverages set the scene for the morning portion of the day, offering eager golfers of all levels the chance to mingle among their foursomes. Perhaps most promising was the sheer variety of participants in these groups: first-timers who had heard of us from a friend of a friend, Catholic Charities board members, business leaders, church volunteers, and Knights of Columbus members – the nearly 50 teams reflected a broad mix of professional backgrounds and personal stories. These many faces of Catholic Charities supporters were united by one purpose on this day: to ensure more families in our region have access to nutritious food.
“Number 8; that is 8 regional offices between central and eastern North Carolina. 850; that is the number of volunteers that support Catholic Charities every year. 59,000; that’s the number of families that are served. 245,000; the number of individuals that are served, and 5 million pounds of food are served,” announced Mr. Lionel Randolph, Jr., Catholic Charities Board Chair, who welcomed golfers to the 8th Annual Drive Out Hunger Golf Outing. He continued, “So again, just let that sink in. There’s a lot of good numbers, a lot of good things about what this organization is doing and is also a testament to what you today are contributing with your presence and participation.”
Following Lionel’s speech, the charismatic Tony Mabini, Jr., Assistant Golf Professional & Tournament Director at Prestonwood Country Club, guided participants through the match rules and expectations. Father Michael Burbeck, Vicar General for the Diocese of Raleigh, then shared an opening blessing before the parade of golf carts dispersed to their tee boxes.
The event raised $100,000, surpassing previous golf fundraising records. These funds will make a significant impact across the six food pantries operated by Catholic Charities in Durham, Raleigh, Greenville, Fayetteville, New Bern, and Wilmington. Lisa Perkins, Catholic Charities CEO, expressed deep gratitude for this generous support. “We’d like to thank our sponsors for joining us today and all those that came out to play on this wonderful day. We have beautiful weather and we are so happy to be able to share this day with so many of our friends and donors.”
As the golfers returned to the clubhouse after an enjoyable day on the course, they were greeted with a hearty dinner and award ceremony to celebrate on course accomplishments and announce lucky raffle prize winners.
The team of Kevin Berry, Matt Cayanus, Dan Campbell, and Chris Dowdall took home first place on the Fairways course, with Harry Chalker, Marc Graham, Jeff Vittert, and Brian Norris securing second place. Winners of the Most Accurate Drive and Closest to the Pin were Brian Reid and Marianne White, who shocked the entire tournament with a Hole-In-One!
On the Highlands course, the team of Michael Zvarich, Joey Kleha, Deb Kargl, Steven Kovacs took home the top spot, followed in second with Gary Pastor, Grant Pastor, Dave Dodge, Bobby Getz. The Most Accurate Drive and Closest to the Pin winners were Kevin Kocher and Joe Reilly.
As the golfers returned home, there was already a sense of excitement for the next Drive Out Hunger Golf Outing that was palpable in the air. 