(Courtesy of Daughters of Miriam) Drenching rain and floods could not stop golfers at the 38th Annual Daughters of Miriam Golf Classic. Rescheduled from August 13 to October 3 due to destructive rains, the tournament ultimately took place on a beautiful fall day on the sculpted hills of the Arcola Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. The outing, in support of Alzheimer’s and dementia care, brought business and community leaders together for a day of golf and socializing that began with an elaborate buffet brunch in the morning, then proceeded to an exciting shotgun tee-off at 11:00 a.m.
Eight players who were closest to the hole on the four par 3s had the opportunity to participate in the $500,000 Gutenstein Family Foundation Shootout. At the end of the regulation round, two additional spots in the $500,000 shootout contest were auctioned off with 10 golfers competing for the half million dollars from a distance of 165 yards. Unfortunately, no winners walked off with the grand prize, although one lucky player won a $2,500 cash prize that was awarded to the person coming closest to the pin.
In addition to the $500,000 shootout, the shotgun event offered premium hole-in-one prizes such as cars, vacation trips, jewelry and cash awards. Hole-in-one prizes were made possible thanks to the generosity of Frank’s Truck Center of Lyndhurst, Route 23 Auto Mall of Butler; The Timepiece Collection of Englewood; and Yanina & Co. of Cedar Grove. The tournament also continued its decades-long tradition of offering something for everyone. Participants received a variety of gifts when they registered and were treated to an elaborate brunch, cocktail hour and dinner in the dining room and on the expansive terrace overlooking the greens with the Manhattan skyline in the background.
The 2018 Classic featured both a silent and live auction that allowed participants to bid on foursomes at exclusive golf clubs; football, hockey and basketball tickets; entertainment memorabilia; vacation packages; and exclusive house seats for Broadway shows such as Dear Evan Hansen, Beautiful, Aladdin and Mean Girls.
Capping the evening was a 50/50 drawing with a $5,000 jackpot. The annual car raffle drawing that is usually held at the golf dinner was previously drawn on the original date of the outing, August 13, due to state licensing regulations.
Rising to the weather-related challenges of this year’s outing were Golf Co-Chairpersons Alex Fleysher of West Caldwell, Andrew Kanter of Wayne, David Kessler of Franklin Lakes and Leslie Levine of Clifton.
“All of our golfers understood the need to reschedule,” said Kanter, “and in the end we had one of our most enjoyable outings ever. Arcola is a premium course and everyone raved about this year’s event. In speaking with nearly all the participants, this year’s outing was at the top of nearly everyone’s list. The combination of a great day benefitting a great cause—raising money for Alzheimer’s and dementia care—proved an unbeatable combination.”
Volunteers staff the event and help the day run smoothly by greeting players with gifts and goodie bags, registering participants, monitoring the prize holes and manning the silent and live auctions. Their efforts were headed by volunteer coordinators Linda Fishman and Anne Kanter of Wayne, and Leslie Levine of Clifton.
The committee responsible for coordinating the event was Jeff Abrams, Paul Abrams, Michael Birnberg, Monica Cohen, Reid Fader, Jared Kanter, Robert Kantor, Randi Kochman, Scott Norwalk, Jay Opper, Marc Rosenkrantz, Avi Safer, Joseph Silverman, Jeffrey Silvershein, Michael Sirota, Andrew Steiger, David Topalian and Morris Yamner.
Daughters of Miriam Center/The Gallen Institute is a CMS-rated, five-star, state-of-the-art long-term care and subacute facility providing broad-based services to seniors. Emphasizing a continuum-of-care focus, Center divisions include a skilled nursing facility, a subacute care wing, a memory care pavilion, a rehabilitation program, a sheltered workshop, hospice care, a respite program and senior housing with supportive services.
Founded in 1921, the Center is a non-profit, nonsectarian organization licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health, accredited by The Joint Commission and serves as a university-affiliated teaching center.
The Center’s mission is to provide quality healthcare services and housing for seniors in an environment that enhances and respects individualized traditions and lifestyles.
