Day of Golf a Great Success!

   The 2009 MGA Foundation Day of Golf at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J., on May 11 was a tremendous success, with over $100,000 raised in support of the MGA Foundation’s GOLFWORKS Student Intern program. More than 100 supporters were on hand to enjoy Liberty National, which will host the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoff event, The Barclays, in August. Two GOLFWORKS alumni, Hamilton Lopes and Patricia Leung, were in attendance and spoke at the reception about how vital the GOLFWORKS program has been to their successes as students, workers and individuals. Lopes works on the maintenance crew at Bethpage State Park, site of the 2009 U.S. Open Championship, and Leung will be a junior at the University of Michigan in the fall.

 

Borek and Famiano Interns Established

   The MGA and MGA Foundation boards of directors voted to establish a permanent GOLFWORKS Intern Scholar at Crestmont Country Club in West Orange, N.J., and at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, N.Y., in honor of the two head professionals at those clubs who recently passed away, Pete Famiano and Gene Borek, respectively. Both men were long-time supporters of GOLFWORKS, and Crestmont and Metropolis have participated in the MGA Foundation’s student intern program since its inception in 1994. Famiano and Borek acted as mentors, role models and friends to dozens of young people, many of whom went on to successful careers in golf and business. The MGA Foundation is pleased to be able to pay tribute to their contributions through this permanent scholarship in their names.

 

First Tee Students Named to National Network

   Four students from The First Tee of Metropolitan New York (TFTMNY) were named as ambassadors to the Alliance Youth Network, a branch of America’s Promise Alliance. The students—Andre Dews, Stephen Fetko, Sumit Khetan and Joe Lee―were chosen for their leadership skills and their stated goal to promote learning in their communities.

 

   The Alliance Youth Network is comprised of more than 150 youth ambassadors who work with organizations and groups to spread leadership skills in underprivileged communities. After an orientation in Washington, D.C., the four FTMNY students will take their leadership skills back to their communities in the Met Area to help young people take initiative in their own lives and focus on gaining a higher education. The MGA and MGA Foundation congratulate these four individuals on their selection to this prestigious panel of outstanding youth ambassadors.

 

RBS Achievers of the Year

   Dominick Ferrante, a participant at The First Tee of Nassau County, has been named one of ten semifinalists for the sixth annual RBS Achievers of the Year Award. The program was created by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, in conjunction with Charter One and Citizens Bank, to recognize deserving participants of The First Tee and help fund their future education. 
 

   RBS and Golf Digest publications, both trustees of The First Tee, will present the 2009 RBS Achievers of the Year Awards during an awards dinner in New York City on June 17, during U.S. Open week. Two finalists, one male and one female, will each receive $10,000 and eight semifinalists will each receive $2,000 to fund higher education.

 

   The RBS Achievers of the Year Awards recognize outstanding participants for succeeding in school and their daily lives as a result of their experience with The First Tee.