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Date: 8/30/2021
HOLYOKE – After being cancelled last year due to COVID-19, the Holyoke Community College Foundation is back for their 34th annual fundraising golf tournament on Sept. 13 at the Springfield Country Club in West Springfield.
“This tournament is a great opportunity to bring people together around a central cause, HCC, and have folks network with one another,” said Patrick Carpenter, director of institutional advancement at Holyoke Community College (HCC). “Holyoke has had a strong relationship with many community partners, businesses, alumni and friends for many years. It’s been an important institution in our region for three quarters of a century. So, there is always a lot of love for Holyoke Community College at our golf tournament.”
HCC is the oldest of the community colleges in all of Massachusetts, serving more than 11,500 students annually in credit and noncredit programs and courses. The college is recognized for its Honors program, distance learning curriculum, learning communities and service to students. The HCC Foundation is a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $500,000 for HCC scholarships, students support programs and classroom technology through their Golf Classic tournaments.
The golf outing begins with an 11 a.m. buffet lunch followed by a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. After golf, participants can enjoy cocktails on the clubhouse porch with beautiful views of the Pioneer Valley, followed by a special dinner and celebration recognizing the 75th anniversary of Holyoke Community College. The proceeds for this year’s tournament will support student scholarships at HCC. All the money raised will be put in the student scholarship fund and will be given out this upcoming spring to deserving students.
Carpenter told Reminder Publishing that the HCC Foundation Golf Tournament goes back 34 years. At the time, Elaine Ironfield was running the Foundation as its first executive director of the foundation – the president at the time was David Bartley. They determined that raising money around a focused event – like a golf tournament – could generate excitement and enthusiasm about the college. “For over 34 years it's been raising a good deal of money to benefit our students,æ Carpenter added. “For this, we offer our deepest gratitude to our sponsors, golfers and volunteers who have made out tournament so successful for so long,”
During COVID-19, Carpenter said HCC has tried to establish as many new scholarships as they were able to by building virtual events to engage with their alumni, community members and friends of the college. They also did a Giving Day in April – the first one HCC has ever hosted – and raised $130,000 from that initiative in one day.
“What I hope people get out of the tournament this year an opportunity to come together and build some community after a year of being tightly locked down,” Carpenter replied. “To reflect on what this college has done over 75 years, what it has meant to this region and the impact that it had on students. I really hope this tournament gets people excited about the next 75 years because the story of this college so far has been remarkable, and there's more to come.”
Registration for the HCC Golf Classic now open. Participants can arrange their own foursomes or sign up as singles. The $185 individual fee includes greens fees, golf cart, lunch, dinner and refreshments on the course. The cost is $740 per foursome.
To register or sponsor the golf tournament, please go to www.hcc.edu/golf. Golfers will be allowed to register up until Sept. 10. For more information, please contact Patrick Carpenter at 552-2746 or pcarpenter@hcc.edu.