The Food Bank of Central New York announced today that its annual Golf Open, held at the Links at Sunset Ridge in Marcellus on July 8, successfully raised $14,750.42 to help feed the hungry in Central and Northern New York.
Despite the high humidity and mid-90 degree temperature, 122 players hit The Links to raise funds for hunger relief. First Niagara Bank served as Presenting Sponsor; major sponsors included Syracuse Community Health Center, stressdesign, ClearChannel, Constellation Energy, Grimaldi & Nelkin CPAs, C&S Companies, Murphy and Nolan Inc., and L.W. Robbins Associates.
Teams competed in a captain-and-crew format for both bragging rights and prizes. The winning team for the tournament was Captain E. Carlyle Smith with his three grandsons: Kevin Roy, Kyle Roy, and Ryan Smith. 18-year-old Kevin Roy, son of former PGA Tour player Jim Roy, won the Post-Standard Amateur earlier this year, tying for third best score in that tournament’s 52-year history.
Al Gallardo won the Closest to the Pin competition. Mike Naton took home the prize for the men’s Longest Drive; the women’s winner was Cindy Fleischer. The three winners in the First Niagara Bank putting contest were John Cole (1st), Bob Fox (2nd), and Shawn Comer (3rd). The biggest winner of the day, however, may have been Dick Rudisill of Phoenix; after being only one of three players to win the Chipping Contest, he chose as his prize 15 raffle tickets – and with those, won round-trip air travel certificates for two from JetBlue Airways.
The Food Bank of Central New York is a not-for-profit organization working to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education, and advocacy in cooperation with the community. The Food Bank serves as the primary food supplier for 284 emergency programs in 11 counties of New York State, distributing nearly 10 million pounds of food annually. Established in 1985, the organization is considered one of the most efficient food banks in the country, using 94 cents of each dollar for program costs. The Food Bank of Central New York is a certified member of America’s Second Harvest – the Nation’s Food Bank Network. Visit www.foodbankcny.org to view more information on the agency and its programs.
