August 2, 2018

Brightside Golf Classic raises more than $90,000

REGIONAL
Staff report

Pictured are (left to right)William F. Walthouse, St. Germain Investment Management; Maria Zygmont, Brightside; John Kendzierski, Professional Drywall Construction, Inc.; Daniel Moriarty, Monson Savings Bank; Mark Paglia Brightside; Jack Dowd, The Dowd Agencies; Madeline Johnson, Brightside; Hank Downey, Florence Bank; William J. Wagner, Westfield Bank; and Mark Fulco, president, Mercy Medical Center.(IObserve photo/courtesy of Mercy Medical Center)

SPRINGFIELD – The 38th Annual Brightside Golf Classic at the Springfield Country Club proved a success, with golfers raising $90,180 on Monday.

Funds raised will help to continue the important work of Brightside for Families and Children as a non-profit child welfare and family support organization for at-risk children, adolescents and their families.

“Since its founding as an orphanage in 1881, Brightside has strived to meet the needs of the community’s most vulnerable children and adolescents. And while those needs have changed considerably over the years, Brightside has adapted by restructuring its programs and services in order to continue to provide assistance to those in need,” said Mark Fulco, president of Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates. 

The support given through this year’s Golf Classic will help Brightside’s efforts to assist children, adolescents and families in need through family outreach and stabilization, psychiatric and medication evaluation and management, special education, and therapeutic mentoring.

Serving as chairs of the Golf Committee were John Kendzierski, founder and director, Professional Drywall Construction, Inc.; Matthew Sosik, president and chief executive officer, bankESB; William J. Wagner, chief business development officer and vice chairman of the board, Westfield Bank; Dan Moriarty, senior vice president, chief financial officer, Monson Savings Bank; and Hank Downey, vice president, commercial loan officer, Florence Bank.

John Dowd, president and CEO of The Dowd Agencies was presented with the 2018 James P. Corridan Memorial Award for his exemplary commitment to Brightside’s mission to serve and support children and families in need. The Corridan Award is presented each year in memory of James Corridan, who worked with community leaders to build awareness about the important work done at Brightside and was instrumental in establishing and organizing the annual golf tournament.

Reception sponsors for the Brightside Golf Classic were the Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation and Westfield Bank. Platinum sponsors were bankESB; Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation; Westfield Bank; W. F. Johnson & Son Electrical; and Anchor Electrical Motor.  

In addition, gold sponsors were Monson Savings Bank, Professional Dry Wall Construction, TD Bank, The Collins Companies, and Wolf and Company. Cart sponsors were BMC HealthNet Plan, Brass Axe Capital, The Dowd Agencies, Florence Bank, Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc., Health New England, Raymond R. Houle Construction, Inc., and Sisters of Providence. Silver sponsors were Eastern States Exposition and PeoplesBank. Media sponsors were Business West & HealthCare News, MassLive, and Western Mass News.

“The support of our sponsors and participants in the annual Brightside Golf Classic is essential to our ability to continue to bring hope and healing through the programs and services of Brightside for Families and Children, and we are tremendously grateful for their generosity,” said Carrie Fuller, executive director, fund development for Mercy Medical Center.

For more information, results, and links to photos, please visit www.mercycares.com/brightside-golf-classic. Photos have also been posted to the Brightside Facebook page.