July 19, 2010
For the majority of golfers, spending a day with friends while
playing 18 holes at a beautiful country club is one of the best
ways to enjoy a warm summer day. At St. John’s University, it’s
also one of the best ways to have fun while supporting scholarships
for the University’s most deserving students.
Photo Gallery
And so it was no surprise that over 140 alumni and friends of
St. John’s gathered at the South Shore Country Club on Wednesday,
July 14, 2010 for the 31st Annual Staten Island Golf Outing, a
traditional event organized to help fund the Sipp/DeStefano
Scholarship for undergraduate students attending the Staten Island
campus. To date, 86 students have received awards from this
scholarship.
“Since the scholarship began we have awarded a total of
$166,856 in grants, and that’s not counting what will be awarded
for the upcoming academic year,”
remarked
Jerrold Ross, Ph.D., Academic Vice President for the Staten Island
campus and Dean, St. John’s The School of Education. “Without a
doubt, the Golf Committee should be proud of all that they have
accomplished in the area of scholarship assistance to our most
deserving and needy students.”
In addition to the Sipp/DeStefano Scholarship Fund, a portion of
the more than $32,000 raised was directed to the Rita Noss
Scholarship Fund to provide financial assistance to St. John’s
students who come from a single parent home.
As is traditional, a number of individuals were recognized for
their outstanding commitment to the University and the Staten
Island community at a cocktail reception and dinner immediately
following the completion of the final foursome. This year’s
honorees included:
Larry Durso ’75NDC
Managing Director-Investments
Durso-Frazier Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors,
LLC
Kenneth Gundersen
Retired
Financial Banker
Rita Noss (Posthumously)
Former Administrative Assistant, Office of Student Life, Staten
Island campus
St. John's University
Nicholas A. Legakis ’97SVC, ’07MPS Director, Office of
Institutional Advancement, Staten Island campus was quick to praise
the honorees for how they exemplify the uniqueness of the mission
that has guided St. John’s for more than 140 years. “We’re all
proud to be associated with such great people,” he said. “They
really put the Vincentian philosophy of caring and compassion for
others into action, and they do so in a very quiet but real
way.”
The enjoyment of a great day of golf and the satisfaction of
reaching out to students was a combination that struck a resounding
chord for the honorees, many of whom have participated in this
popular event for a number of years.
“This was a great outing and a wonderful night,” said Durso. “We
all had a lot of fun but most of all we raised a lot of money for a
great cause and are going to help some deserving students go to St.
John’s on Staten Island. I was glad to be just a small part of
making this happen.”
“It feels very special to be honored among my peers,” noted
Gunderson, who has been a member of the Golf Committee for nearly
20 years. “St. John’s is a wonderful organization and I’m proud to
be a part of it.”
Besides enjoying the opportunity to get together with each other
and take part in some friendly competition, alumni and friends were
pleased to be doing something for the University and its students
that would last long after the final putt was sunk.
Although not an alumnus, Anthony Venturella came to honor the
memory of Rita Noss, who passed away in April, 2009. “This was a
beautiful day,” he said wistfully, “and what’s especially nice is
that we’re honoring Rita, who was such a beautiful woman.”
More Information
For additional information about events of interest to Staten
Island area alumni, please call Nicholas A. Legakis, Director,
Institutional Advancement, Staten Island at (718) 390-4146 or
e-mail legakisn@stjohns.edu