Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: golf-tournament

  • Cause and effect: Samaritan golf event raises $235K

    Christine Harkinson/The Sun
    Chris Rollins (left to right), chief development officer at Samaritan; Roy Fazio and Cliff Mancine, co-chairs of Drive FORE! A Good Cause; and Samaritan’s president and CEO Phillip Heath at the organization’s annual golf tournament on June 23.

    Samaritan’s 35th annual golf tournament Drive FORE! A Good Cause helped support the organization’s services on June 23 at Little Mill County Club in Marlton.

    The event had 200 participants this year and was presented by the Richardson Family Dealerships. The 18-hole, scramble-format tournament also featured an awards reception and dinner and an online auction, as well as an appearance by the Phillie Phanatic.

    The Lexus Champions for Charity – sponsored by Lexus of Cherry Hill – also made a return to this year’s event, giving golfers an exclusive chance to play at Pebble Beach in California.

    The tournament is something that Samaritan CEO and president Phillip Heath looks forward to every year.

    “For me, it’s almost eight years of wonderful community interaction and professional interaction,” he said. “And to see the community’s commitment and love for the work that we do, as well as for the joy of the game … it’s great.

    “As we raise awareness around the work that we do, people get excited,” he added. “They learn new things that we’re doing that’s different from the past.”

    Founded in Moorestown in 1980, Samaritan was one of the first hospices in the country and is now one of the state’s leading providers of hospice care, palliative (comfort) medicine, at-home primary care, grief support and other services. The one message Heath emphasizes is that Samaritan provides all-around care.

    “Samaritan is more than just hospice,” he explained. “We’re really serving the community in a great way, and particularly the frail and elderly in our community and those who are most vulnerable, so we’re there to support them.”

    Now in its 45th year, Samaritan, Heath said, continues to grow its health-care services.

    “We’ve evolved as health care has evolved,” he noted. “We’ve evolved as our community has evolved, and I believe that today we’re continuing to be thought leaders in the area of end-of-life care (and) in the area of serious-illness care and helping people to reconnect through social connections.”

  • Samaritan golf tourney supports nonprofit’s services

    Special to The Sun
    “Our annual golf tournament is more than just a day on the green – it’s a special tradition that brings our community together in support of our patients across South Jersey,” said Samaritan president Phillip Heath.

    Samaritan’s 35th annual golf tournament – Drive FORE! A Good Cause – will be held at Little Mill Country Club in Marlton on Monday, June 23.

    All proceeds from the event will support Samaritan services that benefit seriously ill patients and their families, as well as those who are grieving a loss.

    “Our annual golf tournament is more than just a day on the green – it’s a special tradition that brings our community together in support of our patients across South Jersey,” said Phillip Heath, president and CEO of Samaritan. “This tournament would not be possible without the kind generosity of our returning golf committee co-chairs, Cliff Mancine and Roy Fazio, all the members of our golf committee, and, of course, our sponsors, volunteers and golfers.

    “I would like to thank everyone who helps make this tournament a meaningful and successful celebration each year.”

    Presented by The Richardson Family Dealerships, the 18-hole, scramble-format tournament will begin with registration at 10 a.m.; shotgun start is 11:15 a.m. The event will end with a reception and awards dinner at about 4:30 p.m.

    The Lexus Champions for Charity, sponsored by Lexus of Cherry Hill, will make a return to this year’s tournament to offer an exclusive chance to play at Pebble Beach in California. The opportunity to bid on this auction will take place during the post-event banquet. Proxy bidding will be available for those who are unable to attend. There will also be on-course contest opportunities sponsored by Challenge Sponsor Mancine Optical, 50/50 raffles and more.

    “It’s a powerful thing to be a part of,” noted Chris Rollins, chief development officer at Samaritan, of the golf tournament. “This is another way that our community – year after year – shows support for Samaritan’s life-enhancing care. Many of those above-and-beyond services that differentiate us … are things made possible because of the generosity of the community that we serve.

    “It’s invigorating to see the community step up and take advantage of that chance to support us and our services,” he added, “because what they’re really doing… is caring for their neighbors and their friends and family.”

    Samaritan will once again host an online auction of exclusive golf rounds, sports tickets and other prizes, allowing golfers – as well as those who can’t attend the tournament – to bid on a variety of items. The online auction will open on Monday, June 16, at 6 p.m. Pre-register online at www.samaritanNJ.org/Golf.

    Samaritan is currently wait-listing golf-only registrants, but sponsorship opportunities – available through Wednesday, June 4 – and dinner-only ticket options remain available. For more information on that or volunteer opportunities for the event, contact Katelin Spooner at (856) 552-3239 or KSpooner@SamaritanNJ.org. Golfers who want to be placed on the wait list can also contact Spooner.