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Date: 6/29/2023
SPRINGFIELD — For generations, children with illnesses and disabilities have received care at Shriner’s Children’s, a nationwide group of non-profit healthcare centers. Locally, Shriner’s Children’s New England in Springfield provides care for children with cleft palates and cleft lips, orthopedic conditions, spine and spinal cord disorders and injuries, urological ailments and issues associated with sports medicine.
Brenda Cuoco, broker and owner of Brenda Cuoco & Associates Real Estate Brokerage, met Jackson Connors and his parents, Jill and Nick Connors, when selling their home. As Jill Connors explained in a social media post ahead of the benefit, Jackson was born seven weeks early, with a cleft eyebrow, a cleft eyelid, a deeper cranial “soft spot than most children,” a hypospadias and a severe right club foot. Jackson has undergone several surgeries through Shriner’s Children’s of New England, and the brokerage decided to host a fundraiser to benefit the organization.
“This will be our first, very unique, double header benefit,” said Cuoco. “We plan to do this yearly.” The brokerage organized a full day of events, beginning with a day of golf at Franconia Golf Course in Springfield, which sold out with 150 people registering. After registration and breakfast, participants played the course. Some took a chance on a hole-in-one contest with $30,000 in cash prizes.
At 3:30 p.m., people headed over to the Springfield Lodge of Elks #61, for drinks and raffles, followed by dinner catered by The Federal. The final event of the evening was a concert by the band Trailer Trash. Cuoco said more than 500 people had expressed interest.
Among the more than 60 raffle prizes was a luxury suite at the Saratoga Race Course, Boston Red Sox tickets and New England Patriots tickets, the last of which was sponsored by Competitive Kitchen Designs of West Springfield.
Chris Bush, an associate designer at Competitive Kitchen Designs, played gold as part of a foursome of friends whose businesses each sponsor a different charity golf tournament in the area. He joked that he was “98% there for Jackson, 1% for the golf and 1% for beer.”
Not everyone who came out to Franconia was an experienced golfer. Liane Sikes, an independent real estate agent who works with Brenda Cuoco Associates, was part of a foursome making their way around the course. Sikes looked at her friends and said with a laugh, “We do not golf,” but added, that they had come out to support Shriner’s Children’s of New England.
“It’s a good cause, with good friends,” said Steven Testa, who was playing his 14th hole of the day with the people in his foursome. When asked why he decided to come out to the fundraiser, he joked, “I’m a professional charity golf player.” On a more serious note, he said that he had been a supporter of the Shriners “from the beginning.” He shared that if he and his wife die at the same time, their assets will go to Shriner’s Children’s.
Bob Langevin, who was playing with Testa, said, “We’re all here to support Nick Connor’s son.”