Golf classic honors frontline heroes

GOLF CLASSIC  Residents at one of Catholic Charities’ Department for Persons with Disabilities group homes take a photo with some of the frontline heroes who have served them throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

HAMBURG  While COVID-19 has caused the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD), an agency of diocesan Catholic Charities, to cancel its 2020 Wiegand Farm Golf Classic, the DPD still intends to honor its frontline heroes by inviting the faithful to make a difference and donate to its appeal virtually.

The golf classic was originally scheduled for June 22 to help the hundreds of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are served by the agency. It will be held next year at Crystal Springs Resort here on June 21. This year’s virtual event will be held on Sept. 18. It will include a ceremony honoring DPD’s heroes — its staff on the front lines. The event will be able to be viewed on Catholic Charities’ social media sites.

“The decision to cancel this year’s Wiegand Farm Golf Classic was not an easy one, but in the interest of everyone’s safety, it was the right decision,” said Joanna Miller, executive director of DPD. “DPD has enjoyed this amazing event for the last 45 years and we are saddened that we will not be able to see our incredible supporters in person this year. Since we announced the decision to move the event to a virtual format this year we have already seen donations flow in from those we count on every year and we are truly grateful for this continued support.”

The golf classic has been a staple for the DPD every June. Jack Kelly, a parishioner of St. Thomas in Oak Ridge, started the event. It has raised more than $5 million for the DPD since the outing’s inception in 1975.

Denis and Denise Avagliano are longtime DPD volunteers and golf committee members, who assist in the fundraising and bring 15 to 20 people each year to the golf classic. For many years, they have been involved with DPD’s People Need Friends program and connected with Bill, a resident at one of DPD’s group homes. They have been a part of his life for decades taking him out to dinner each week and spending the holidays with him.

Denis Avagliano said, “DPD is a wonderful organization. It is a model organization setting the standard for serving people with disabilities. DPD is the best place for those with disabilities to be. We’ve seen tremendous growth in Bill through the years. DPD has changed his life and those of so many others.”

With the challenges presented by COVID-19, the needs of the DPD and all of diocesan Catholic Charities’ agencies have been greater than ever. Throughout the last several months during the pandemic, DPD has worked diligently to keep its service recipients and staff safe. The agency has had to invest in personal protective equipment and many other unbudgeted COVID-19-related expenses. In addition, the agency anticipates funding cuts from both federal and state governments. These additional expenses, cuts and the absence of the 2020 in-person event make this an unprecedented time in the organization’s history.

“This is a flagship event for DPD and we count on the financial support to enable us to provide world-class services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout the Diocese of Paterson,” Miller said.

The agency plans to make next year’s event bigger and better with more DPD spirit than ever before.

Christopher Brancato, director of development for diocesan Catholic Charities, said, “The Wiegand Farm Golf Classic is one of the largest golf outings in the entire country. Last year, more than 400 golfers and volunteers joined us for this special event. It is a day that brings friends from all over to support DPD, Catholic Charities and the Church. It is more than just a golf outing — it is a celebration of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those who make a difference in their lives. Please continue to support our special event this year, to allow us to provide help and create hope through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”

There are several ways to contribute to the virtual event. Those interested can make a donation, be a sponsor at various levels or place an ad in the event’s journal. While the in-person event is canceled, golfers or those who would like to give a gift to a golfer can purchase a single golf certificate or foursome golf certificate, plus a donation to DPD. Supporters are also invited to fund-raise and join the DPD team to help those with intellectual and developmental disabilities or participate in DPD’s mega 50/50 raffle, which will be drawn on Sept. 18. For complete details visit the diocesan Catholic Charities website dedicated to the golf classic.

“I am looking forward to our virtual event on Sept. 18 where we will celebrate some of our own DPD heroes who have continued to provide help and create hope for the individuals at DPD through the pandemic,” Miller said. “All are so worthy of this recognition. We look forward to seeing everyone back at Crystal Springs next June 21.”