NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning with Entergy, Diamond Sponsor of the 33rd annual Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic. Left to right: Jim Cunningham (of New York, NY), Eli Manning (Hoboken, NJ), Mike Balduzzi (of Cortlandt Manor), Mike Fitzgerald (of Washingtonville, NY), and Marc Potkin (of Westport, CT). Photo by: John Vecchiolla.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind, the internationally accredited nonprofit guide dog school, recently welcomed the return of NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning for his fourth year as host of the 33rd Annual Guiding Eyes Golf Classic. 252 golfers teed off, raising close to $500,000 for the organization. The sold-out event was held June 14, 2010 at the Mount Kisco Country Club in Mount Kisco, NY and the Whippoorwill Club in Armonk, NY.
Founded in 1977 with the help of PGA legend Ken Venturi, the Golf Classic has raised over $10 million for the organization since its inception. As part of the Classic, Guiding Eyes also presented the Corcoran Cup, the “Masters” of blind golf, on Sunday, June 13. Thirteen top U.S. Blind Golfers Association (USBGA) players from around the country vied for the coveted award. This year, Patrick Browne, Jr. (of New Orleans, LA) was named Corcoran Cup champion for the twenty-first time. David Meador (of Nashville, TN) took home the Cribari Trophy for his second place finish.
Sheila Drummond (of Lehighton, PA) was awarded the Joe Spoonster Trophy for most improved from the previous year. The 2010 Ken Venturi Coach of the Year Award went to Keith Drummond, who coaches his wife – blind golfer Sheila Drummond. William McMahon (of Framingham, MA), won the McFarland Trophy, which is given to the competitor who exceeds his or her point target by the most points.
Eli Manning was introduced to Guiding Eyes’ Golf Classic through family friend and current tournament champion Patrick Browne, Jr. Pat taught Eli and his son, Patrick III, how to golf as boys. The elder Browne, coach by this year by Patrick III, reunited with Eli at the recent tournament. This time, the father and son team showed the star quarterback how to golf blind.
NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning with Wilton-based The Canine Fence Company, Platinum Sponsor of the 33rd Annual Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic. Left to right: Tallie Linse (of Newtown, CT), Carol Hill (of Wilton, CT), Tracy Scarfi (of Wilton, CT), Eli Manning (of Hoboken, NJ), Jen Hill (of Wilton, CT), Bob Hulbert (of White Plains), and Heather Incalcatera (of Norwalk, CT). Photo by: John Vecchiolla.
“This was my fourth year hosting Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s Golf Classic and it’s very special to me. I look forward to it every year,” says Manning. “We’ve had fun and we’ve done a lot of great work. It’s definitely been rewarding. To see some of the people who’ve gotten use out of Guiding Eyes’ guide dogs and how it has changed their lives is unbelievable.”
The 2010 Guiding Eyes Golf Classic gained major support from 21 individual and corporate sponsors including:
Diamond Sponsors: Entergy & Gatorade
Presenting Sponsor: The Journal News & LoHud.com
Platinum Sponsors: The Canine Fence Company, Hudson Valley Mechanical Contractors Association, and Southeastern Farms / Kinloch Insurance Services
Gold Sponsors: A. DeVito & Son, Inc., Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, and JP Morgan Chase
Silver Sponsors: Aero Hardware, Avant Business Services, Citibank, Stanley Cohen, Emblem, Paul Holland, Ken Nilsen, Rolex, Skanska USA Civil Inc., The Stewart Family, TBS Shipping, and Wilson & Son Jewelers
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is located at 611 Granite Springs Road in Yorktown Heights, NY. They can be reached at 914.245.4024 or by visiting www.guidingeyes.org.
About Guiding Eyes for the Blind:
Guiding Eyes for the Blind (www.guidingeyes.org), an internationally accredited nonprofit guide dog school, was founded in 1954 to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women by providing them with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity and expanded horizons of opportunity. Since that time, Guiding Eyes has become one of the foremost guide dog schools in the world, graduating more than 7,000 guide dog teams. It provides superbly bred Guiding Eyes dogs, professional training and follow-up support services to students at no cost to them and depends on contributions to fulfill its mission. The comprehensive cost of breeding, raising, preparing, training, and supporting a Guiding Eyes team is $45,000. Guiding Eyes for the Blind's Headquarters and Training Center is located in Yorktown Heights, NY and the Canine Development Center is in Patterson, NY.
