Community tees it up to help Medford children
Golfers, business leaders, and members of local organizations came together for a fundraiser hosted by Medford Invitational Tournaments and Medford Family Network to benefit local kids.
By Crystal Yormick
The Medford Invitational Tournaments (MIT) group raised about $15,000 from golfers at its second annual “Tee It Up for Billy” golf fundraiser on June 22. Additional funds came from corporate sponsors.
About 100 golfers started gathering at the Hillview Golf Club’s sprawling green course in North Reading at 7 a.m. before teeing off at 8 a.m. to compete in teams of four.
Proceeds from the event go directly towards the holiday party that provides presents for children with autism and other intellectual and physical challenges. The organization has been hosting the celebration since 2022 in conjunction with the Medford Family Network (MFN). The money is used to buy gifts for about 80 children, gifts ranging from Lego sets to a Mickey Mouse animatronic. The groups also provide gifts to the siblings of these children at the holiday party.
“Our brand is not to just throw money,” said MIT President and CEO Ron Giovino. “Our brand is to make sure that we incorporate the fun of what we do [in] making an event.”
MFN Director Marie Cassidy said working with MIT made “perfect sense.” Giovino described the partnership as a natural one. While MIT provides the toys and funding for the Christmas party each year, it’s MFN that puts them in contact with the families and gets the wish lists.
Since joining forces, Cassidy said, some other benefits include more accessibility to the support group for families and increased attendance. Because of this, the MFN was able to change the age limit for children they could help for these specific services. The previous criteria offered services to children only up to eight years old. Now, there are no age specifications.
Some golfers took the day off work to participate while others traveled from different parts of Massachusetts and the east coast, including from New Hampshire.
“It’s wonderful,” Cassidy said of the tournament. “It says a lot about how important this really is [that people] would take a day off to do this.”
Medford City Councilor George Scarpelli said the city tries to give money towards initiatives for the special needs community, but it is organizations like MIT and MFN that do the most for them.
“When Ronnie [Giovino] asks you to help any organization, you run,” Scarpelli said. “You don’t walk. You run.”
The 18-hole course included a “raffle stop” where golfers could enter various raffles. At the 18th hole, the golfers could receive $10,000 if they hit a hole-in-one. The top three teams received cash prizes: for first place, each team member received $150; for second, $100 per person; for third, $75 per person.
Participants gathered at the Moose Lodge afterwards for a reception that included announcement of the raffle results and catering from Avellino’s of Medford.
The golf fundraiser and holiday party now serve as the organization's main focus. It previously hosted a baseball tournament for the Challenger Division of Little League Baseball, which caters to children with learning and behavioral challenges, for about 25 years before it shuttered its initial operations in 2021.
The title of the tournament honors late Medford community member William "Billy" Falasca. Giovino said he and Falasca used to coach little league together and Falasca “just knew the cause.”
Falasca also knew a lot of people in the community, which increased attendance numbers and support for the tournament, Giovino said.
“Billy was a guy that you knew him,” Giovino said. “You were his friend.”
MIT plans to continue the event and increase participation.
“If you need money, we give you the money,” Giovino said. “But our thing is more of let’s put a smile on the kids' faces.”
