April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ANNUAL EVENT
Windham golf tournament is a hole-in-one for St. Theresa's
Windham golf tournament is a hole-in-one for St. Theresa's
The golf tournament, to be held Sept. 11 at the Windham Country Club, is the main fundraiser for St. Theresa of the Child Jesus parish in Windham.
The Greene County parish is a "tourist parish," according to Rev. Jay Atherton, pastor there and at Sacred Heart/Immaculate Conception in Haines Falls/Palenville. St. Theresa's is in the heart of the Albany Diocese's ski country, with the Windham Mountain ski resort just a mile and a half away.
Bogeys and birdies
Because the parish welcomes hundreds of seasonal visitors, its buildings have to be large enough to accommodate them -- but the number of Mass-goers shrinks in the off-season, while the church's heating and insurance bills don't.
This can put the parish in quite a financial sand trap. In fact, said Father Atherton, St. Theresa's would be in the rough without the impressive $45,000 the golf tournament brings in annually.
"I think it's one of the biggest golf tournaments around," the pastor boasted. "It's incredible -- but very necessary" for the parish. "It keeps us running and keeps us able to do what we're here to do."
The tournament also brings together all of the church's parishioners, seasonal and year-round. Each year, Father Atherton cruises the links in a golf cart as participants pray to be under par. "I try to meet all the golfers and the people at the dinner" after the tournament, he noted.
The tournament is organized by parishioner Tom McGoldrick. About 180 golfers will hit the fairway for this year's event, which - since it's scheduled for Sept. 11 - will include a 9/11 tribute before the tee-off.
The tribute will feature a color guard made up of local Veterans of Foreign Wars, a local police officer and a firefighter; St. Theresa's cantor, Joan Oldhem, will sing the "Our Father;" and Jimmy McPhail, an Irish tenor, will sing "God Bless America."
The 10.a.m. tribute is open to the public; it will also be broadcast on the local WRIP radio station, 97.9 FM.
Grand slam
That the tournament is an event worthy of a green jacket is evident in its prizes: one of two cars, if a golfer gets an ace at a par-three hole; prizes for six different classifications of participants; and a raffle with high-quality clubs, bags, jewelry, gift certificates and even an all-expense-paid trip -- the winner's choice of a Caribbean cruise with Irish singer Andy Cooney, a trip to Italy or a trip to Ireland.
The raffle "alone is a major fundraiser for us," Mr. McGoldrick told The Evangelist.
An accompanying dinner at the Windham Mountain ski resort attracts extra guests in addition to the golfers, he said. The dinner honors an individual who has helped the golf tournament or the community. This year's honoree is Bob Stubbs, president of the Adaptive Sports Foundation, an organization that helps outfit and teach amputees how to ski.
This year's tournament is already set to bring in a greater profit than last year's - making it, once again, a chip in for St. Theresa's parish.
(For more information or to buy a raffle ticket, call the parish office at 518-734-3352.)[[In-content Ad]]
250 X 250 AD
250 X 250 AD
Events
250 X 250 AD
Comments:
You must login to comment.