BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
JACKSON – Two local charitable organizations will be the beneficiaries of the first golf tournament to be sponsored by the Jackson Rotary Club.
The event will take place on May 18 at the Hanover Golf Club, Larrison Road, Wrightstown. Sign-in will begin at 7 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 8 a.m. The $125 entry fee includes breakfast, golf with a cart, gift bags, snack, beverage, lunch and prizes.
An advertising journal will be printed and various sponsorships are available, said Rotary Club president Patrick McGoohan.
“The profits will go to Providence House, a secure nondenominational shelter for abused women in Toms River which is run by Catholic Charities, and to the Jackson Food Pantry, which provides food for needy families in the Jackson area and is run by the Jackson Women of Today,” McGoohan said. “We chose them to be the recipients of the profits because of their recognized contributions, both in our town and throughout Ocean and Monmouth counties.”
The president said the Rotary Club is committed to serving the community.
“We have held various fundraising projects over the years,” McGoohan said. “We hold raffles, bus trips to Atlantic City, we sell food on Jackson Day, during the township’s concerts and at the movies in the park. We decided to try a golf outing as a fun way to raise money and expand our service to support those who fill a real need in our town and throughout the Shore area. We also thought it would be a good way to introduce others to Rotary and to invite prospective members to see firsthand what we do.”
Rotarians in Jackson are business and professional leaders who take an active role in the community while enriching their personal and professional lives, he said.
“[We are] one of the township’s oldest civic organizations with over 30 years of helping others and serving the community,” he said. “Our members help by raising funds and hosting events for Jackson’s disabled community, as well as by donating to a number of local charities and organizations.”
Through the Jackson Rotary, every school in the township now has an automated external defibrillator installed and available should a life-threatening emergency arise, the president said.
Rotary members have also adopted a school and an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, providing clothing, shoes and supplies.
“We support Rotary’s goal to eradicate polio and are close to seeing this tragic killer stopped,” McGoohan said. “We helped victims of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami that caused such dreadful tragedy to so many lives.”
McGoohan said the club, which has 24 members and is growing, is always interested in welcoming qualified members. The club meets every Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. at the Mug Rack restaurant, 2275 W. County Line Road in the Stop and Shop shopping center. Call Helen Cerulli at (732) 833-6131 for more information about membership.
To reserve a spot on the golf course, registration should be submitted in advance with a minimum $50 deposit per golfer.
Registration forms can be found at the Mug Rack or at local businesses; however, a registration on plain paper with the names of the golfers is acceptable. Golfers may send their registration to P.O. Box 751, Jackson 08527. Make checks out to the Jackson Rotary Charitable Foundation.
For more information about the golf outing, journal ads or sponsorships, contact Patrick McGoohan at (732) 363-1481 (evenings) or Tom Barchie at (732) 928-4500 (days).