Rochester Voice
ROCHESTER - Earlier this month the Rochester Country Club’s Ladies Invitational Golf Tournament Committee presented a check for $10,550 to the Rochester chapter of End 68 Hours of Hunger. The funds were raised by the annual Ladies Invitational Golf Tournament held in September.
Joan Cyr, the committee leader, set a goal of raising more than $10,000 for End 68 Hours of Hunger after donating $4,475 last year. The goal was ambitious, but the entire team rose to the occasion and with the help of many volunteers, sponsors and raffle prize donors, the final amount raised exceeded that goal by $550.
End 68 Hours of Hunger is a national nonprofit, founded right here in New Hampshire, dedicated to addressing the approximately 68-hour period of hunger some schoolchildren face between their last school lunch on Friday and their first school breakfast on Monday. Since its establishment in 2011, End 68 Hours of Hunger has provided nourishing food to children, ensuring they have sustenance throughout the weekend. There are currently 48 programs in seven states feeding about 5,000 kids each week.
Following the presentation the women of the Ladies Invitational expressed gratitude to the donors and sponsors who made this years’ tournament possible, especially Portsmouth Nissan, Todd’s Touch, Profile Bank, Dantes Bistro Bar and Grill, WK Hair Bar, Adagio Spa and Salon, and Rochester Country Club Pro Shop.
Special thanks are also given to the Rochester Country Club food and beverage staff, Mitchell Jefferson the Head Professional as well as other staff working in the Pro shop, and Dawn Carlson, Marketing and Advertising Manager. All went the extra mile to ensure a successful tournament!
Numerous local golf courses and clubs also generously donated to the raffle. They include Rochester Country Club, Nippo Lake Golf Club, Stonebridge Country Club, Cocheco Country Club, Abenaqui County Club, Derryfield Country Club, Farmington Country Club, The Oaks Golf Links, Candia Woods, Sky Meadow Country Club, Breakfast Hill Golf Club, and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster NJ, compliments of Mitch Jefferson.
End 68 Hours of Hunger is almost entirely volunteer-based, with the exception of one part-time executive director and administrative assistant for all 48 programs. The Rochester chapter is run by volunteers from the Rochester Rotary Club and relies almost completely on the local community for its funding. According to program co-coordinator Lisa Stanley, it’s because of contributions like this that End 68 Hours of Hunger has been able to make a significant impact on addressing food insecurity for children in Rochester.
“We are so grateful to the Rochester Country Club Ladies Invitational Committee for making this contribution,” said Stanley. “A donation of this magnitude is truly impactful to our group and to this community.”
A New Hampshire Press Association member