June 16, 2009
The Hempstead Country Club was the site of the Father Dorr Golf
Classic as 84 alumni and friends combined a day of golf with
scholarship support for St. John's University students.
Formerly known as the Newman Golf Classic, the event is named in
honor of Rev. James F. Dorr, C.M. '79Ed.D, the beloved Vincentian
who has served as the driving force behind this popular event for
more than two decades.
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“We've
raised over $2.75 million for scholarships over the past 22 years,”
noted Fr. Dorr as he welcomed the guests to the post-golf dinner,
which included both a regular and silent auction. “I thank
you for your generosity for allowing us to cast our bread upon the
water to support our wonderful students.”
“It’s great to see so many alumni and friends of St. John's here
again,” said Bill Schaeffer '73CBA, Director, Office of Alumni
Relations. “This is such a loyal group. They know how
important this event is and they come back year after year.”
Alumni were vigorous in their overall support for St. John's,
recalling fond memories that have been formed and strengthened over
the years.
“I enjoy coming back to St. John's, helping with fundraising and
giving back something to the school that did so much for me and my
career,” noted Father Dorr Golf Classic Co-Chairperson Joseph
Tarantino '80CBA. “I'm glad to be here with so many good
friends and enjoy the relationships that we've built up over the
years.”
A highlight of the event was the introduction of Jessica Lazo
’09TCB, a recipient of the Fr. James Dorr Scholarship.
“As a first generation student I couldn’t be more thankful to
Fr. Dorr,” she said. “Because of my scholarship I was able to
pursue many opportunities at St. John's, and it's always been
important to me to give back to the community. I graduated
from [St. John's] The Peter J. Tobin College of Business in May and
have already started the Summer Institute at St. John's School of
Law. As I said, I'm so thankful.”
Alumni were universal in voicing their enthusiasm for the
Classic, and particularly for Fr. Dorr.
“I came
back for Fr. Dorr,” said William A. McKenna, Jr. '58UC,
'95HON. “He’s the spark plug that makes this outing
work. I’m also very proud of St. John's because they have
remained true to their mission of giving an opportunity to city
kids to get a college education. I'm happy to be supportive
of that.”
Frank G. Fusaro '69CBA echoed similar sentiments. “I've
been with this tournament from the very first one,” he said.
“This event has been a tremendous success beyond our wildest
dreams, and it’s really a tribute to Fr. Dorr. He's the
best!”
“I've been involved with this event since its inception,”
remarked Robert J. Chrenc '66CBA, '06HON, “and I would do anything
for Fr. Dorr. The end result is that we're generating funds
for scholarships for needy students. It can't get any better
than that.”