A golf tournament in nearby Bloomfield will provide unmatchable support for Montclair State University’s 18 varsity sports.
For golf lovers in Montclair, there is only one local tournament that combines competitiveness, fun and support for the community. The 5th annual Red Hawk Open will be played on Monday, September 11th. The Red Hawk Open is a golf tournament started to support Montclair State University’s athletic teams. The money made from the Red Hawk Open will help Montclair State University’s athletic teams with “team travel, facility improvements and other essential projects that are critical in keeping our athletic programs strong and vibrant” according to the description of the tournament on it’s website. The breadth of the donations span across 500 athletes and 18 varsity sports.
The event will be held at Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield, New Jersey. It is more of an entire day of activities than just one event. At 10:30am, registration opens for those who wish to participate. Then, a BBQ lunch is provided for competitors at 11am. At 12:30pm, the tournament starts in shotgun format. This means that all groups tee off at the same time from different holes. The tournament will last for 5 hours, until 5:30, when cocktail hour and a silent auction will start. After that, dinner will start at 6:30pm, marking the last part of the day.
The cost for a single golfer to participate is $350, but there are many different ways to donate and participate. Individuals or companies can sponsor the event. Some examples are A “Hole Sponsor”, which gets a company name and sponsor on a printed sign at the event, costs $500. A “Putting Green” Sponsor is $2000, but rewards both signage on the putting green and acknowledgement on the website. The biggest donation opportunity is as an “Outing Sponsor”, which covers 8 people to attend, prominent signage at the event, acknowledgement on the Red Hawk website and acknowledgement during the dinner program.
Despite only being one day of golf, food, and fun, the event is critically important to the sustainability of Red Hawk sports. Brian McLaughlin is head coach of Montclair State University’s Swimming and Diving teams, and is also assistant director of athletics at the university. McLaughlin has spent 27 years as head coach, and is widely regarded as one of Montclair State’s most successful ever coaches. McLaughlin spoke about how the Red Hawk Open helps teams like his.
“The support generated from the golf outing the last five years has been nothing short of great. It goes without saying that we appreciate the donations, but we also love seeing those individuals that stand tall for MSU Athletics all assembled together on the same day. On a personal note, the Panzer Athletic Center Pool was transformed with new bleachers a year ago with proceeds from this very event.”
His testament to the effectiveness of the event speaks volumes to its necessity. Such an event has garnered not only inside support from the Red Hawk community, but from businesses and people in the Montclair community as well. Scott Kennedy, CEO of Studio042, the nation’s only Super Business Printer and five time supporter of the Red Hawk open said,
“We have been a consistent supporter of Montclair State University for over 30 years and are proud to support the Red Hawk Open for the fifth time. The MSU Athletics Department with its world class facilities and coaching staff has always run a tight ship and are very supportive of their athletes. The Red Hawk Open is always a great day to thank the staff and support the athletes.”
To register for the event, please see here for more information on registration and sponsorships. Registration for the event takes place on the day of the event at 10:30am, which is September 11th, 2017. The location of the event is Forest Hills Field Club, Bloomfield, NJ, 07003.
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