Caddie Scholarship Foundation Hosts Appreciation and Awards Dinner
On Tuesday, November 7 the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation hosted its annual Appreciation and Awards Dinner at Upper Montclair Country Club, which recognizes the generous support the Foundation received from clubs throughout the state. It is also an evening when the Foundation expresses its sincere appreciation to its benefactors and everyone who, through the gifts of their time, talent, and treasure, continue to ensure that the Foundation will continue to be a shining light for 76 years, providing scholarships to qualified and deserving member club caddies pursuing higher education.
Brian Hunt, Chairman of the Caddie Scholarship Foundation, recognized the top participating clubs and the top contributing clubs. The membership at these clubs have made remarkable financial contributions to the Foundation, but they are also deeply committed to preserving and promoting youth caddying. Year after year the generosity of golf clubs throughout the state continues to show boundless limits, as clubs, individuals, and corporations contributed over $1.3 million in 2022, which enabled the Foundation to provide scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 to 150 Caddie Scholars for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The top 5 clubs by number of Par Club donations (gifts of $100 or more) for 2022 are:
- Baltusrol
- Ridgewood
- Manasquan River
- Echo Lake
- Morris County & Upper Montclair
The top 5 clubs by total donations for 2022 are:
- Baltusrol
- Canoe Brook
- Upper Montclair
- Ridgewood
- Echo Lake
In addition to receiving the Foundation’s Club of the Year Award, Baltusrol Golf Club became the first club to be inducted into the Foundation’s Diamond Society. The Diamond Society recognizes those clubs, who have contributed $1 million since the Foundation’s 50th anniversary in 1997. During that time, Baltusrol’s membership has contributed over $1.3 million to the Foundation and over 150 scholarships have been awarded to the club’s caddies. The Foundation is deeply appreciative of the long-standing, generous support it has received from Baltusrol and its membership’s deep commitment to “keep the caddie in golf.”
Jeff Knapp, NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation Director of Development, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the current 150 NJSGA and NJSGA-Evans Scholars for all that the benefactors and club staff do to promote the foundation and make possible the direct, lasting, and positive impact the gift of education has on the lives of the scholarship recipients. “It is only fitting that we heartfully thank everyone for the tremendous outpouring of support received during the year from our generous benefactors, without whose gifts of time, talent, and treasure the transformative impact of the work that we all do would not be realized,” said Knapp.
To conclude the evening, Brian Hunt thanked the guests for the tremendous impact they have made upon the lives of today’s scholars by sharing, “If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.”
