Between The Palms VOL. 22 NO. 6
www.hpgcc.com
Another Seabreeze Publication
www.seabreezecommunications.com
JUNE 2024
Golf Outing Nets $25,000 for Employee Charity By Lou Bottitta lbottitta@gmail.com On April 24, 148 golfers enjoyed a day of golf for a good cause: the 2nd annual HP Charitable Organization (HPCO) golf tournament. Amidst the picturesque greens, and under sunny skies, excitement filled the air with a thrilling helicopter ball drop, hole-in-one prizes, and a bustling silent auction. But the real highlight? The helicopter’s precision drop of over 600 balls. Because of the stillness of the day, the pilot defied the odds, and actually dropped five balls that scored a “hole-in-one” – instead of four “closest to the hole” winners. So, each of those five winners each received $300. Dave Lionett, who won the top monetary prize, generously donated half of his winnings back to the charity. He exemplified the spirit of giving that permeated the event. With his gesture, and the overwhelming support of HP members, the HPCO will net approximately $25,000… a testament to the community’s generosity.
L-R: April Kispal, Linda Cappella, and Miriam Shook handled duties at the raffle/registration table. Our sincere gratitude to Larry German and Bob Kelly, to their dedicated teams, and to all the volunteers whose efforts ensured the event’s success, registering a significant contribution to our employee charity. In the game of giving, HP hit a hole-in-one!
The helicopter dropped five “hole-in-one” balls.
HPCO President Anthony Plevniak and Bob Kelly carry the flag.
HPTA Annual Tennis & Golf Challenge By Dom DiGangi, HPTA President djdigangi@gmail.com The HPTA held its 12th Annual Tennis & Golf Challenge on April 21. Once again, golfers and tennis players were divided into two teams: Palmer/Federer and Nicklaus/Nadal. The event was a combined skills competition consisting of just under 50 tennis players and golfers. By the closest of margins, the Palmer/Federer team was victorious, winning tennis (most games won) and golf (low gross) combined scores. The day Challenge participants.
HPTA Annual Tennis & Golf Challenge on page 5
5th Graders Shine at Mentoring Graduation By Lou Bottitta lbottitta@gmail.com On Wednesday, April 17, an inspiring event unfolded in the Palms Dining Room as 11 students from Ray V. Pottorf Elementary School’s 5th-grade mentoring program gathered with their dedicated HP volunteer mentors for a heartwarming “graduation” ceremony. With teachers, family and guests in attendance, each student seized the moment to put their new self-confidence on display, and to share reflections on their classroom learnings and educational field trips. From sharing classroom achievements to recounting adventurous field trips, students touched on various facets of the “Integrity Pillar” introduced to them during mentoring sessions. They also featured enlightening interactions with police officers, firefighters, and other community figures. Summing up the profound impact of this collaborative effort, the school principal, Brandy Macchia, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Tom Power and the other dedicated HP volunteers, Between The Palms
MGA Raises $21,090 for Harry Chapin By Tom Wentz, MGA President We presented a check for $20,190 to the Harry Chapin Food Bank at the MGA Happy Hour banquet on March 26. We raised another $900 at the event. $21,090 represents the largest donation the MGA has ever made to Harry Chapin.
A Pottorf teacher, Tom Power, and a student at the podium. underscoring the invaluable role they played in shaping these young minds and hearts. Brandy said, “You all have PRSRT STD truly created a great program US POSTAGE which will positively impact PAID FT MYERS FL these young men for years to PERMIT 751 come… in addition to our future groups! They truly loved the places that you took them, in addition to the lessons that you taught them! I can’t wait to see how this grows – you all are making such a difference for them!”
L-R: Richard LeBer, CEO, Harry Chapin Food Bank; Tom Wentz, MGA President; and Stuart Haniff, Chief Development Officer, Harry Chapin Food Bank.