Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club held its 14^th Annual Charity Golf Outing on Monday, June 26, 2023 at The Peninsula on The Indian River Bay. Rain threatened and thunder rumbled in the distance midday, but neither ever impacted play for the 120 golfers in the tournament. The club was able to realize $32,100 in profits from local and regional partners as well as from the putting, wiffle ball and Pot of Gold contests, mulligans, and 50/50s.

This year’s First Place Team with a score of  -15 for the “best ball” style tournament play included Ryan McCoy, Tyler Chalmers, Gavin Gates, Joshua Sacker.

“We are very fortunate to live in an area that supports these major fund-raising events,” remarked Barry Henry, who chaired the event this year along with his wife, Lynn Henry. “Our many partners and golfers, along with our dedicated golf committee, contributed to the event’s ultimate success and we look forward to using the funds raised to help those in need.”

Proceeds this year have been earmarked for the following:

• Four $2,000 Service Above Self Scholarships for graduating seniors at Sussex Central High School
• Monthly birthday bash and pizza parties at the Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club
  Long Neck Elementary Reading and Outdoor Classroom projects
• Literacy Delaware
• Great Futures Funds for Boys and Girls Club Expansion
• Polio Plus
• Beebe Hospital
• Bayhealth
• Warrior Community Connect
• Mid-Sussex Rescue Squad
• Indian River Volunteer Fire Company
• Tunnel to Towers
• Maui Wildfires
• Rise Against Hunger

The Club’s 15th Annual Charity Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, June 24, 2024 at The Peninsula.

Pictured Above: 1st Place Foursome (left to right): Ryan McCoy, Tyler Chalmers, Gavin Gates, Joshua Sacker.

(Millsboro) (October 19, 2020) — There couldn’t be a better day for golf at The Peninsula on The Indian River Bay for The Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club’s 11^th Annual Charity Golf Outing on Monday, October 19, 2020. It was perfect Indian summer weather. The sun was shining. The air was crisp. Originally scheduled for June, The Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club decided to take their chances and postpone the event until the fall, versus canceling this critical fund-raising event, and were delighted by the turnout and levels of partnership support. This charity golf tournament is the club’s main fund-raising function, where all proceeds are used to support local organizations serving youth, veterans, adult literacy and programs to stem and care for victims of the opioid epidemic as well as Rotary’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative. This year the tournament is projected to net approximately $24,000 from the event sponsors and 103 golfers.

The tournament included a $5,000 putting contest sponsored by Eric Blondin of State Farm Insurance.  Isreal Eleazar won the initial $270 putting prize but failed to make the putt for the $5,000 grand prize which would have been split with the Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club. First Place Team with a score of 56 for the best ball style tournament play included Kevin Yingling, Gary Cripps, Frank Bowman & Brent Elkzy. Prixes included a round of golf for 4 at Bayside and $100 gift card to Agave. The first place Rotary Team went to Rehoboth Beach Sunrise Rotary Club represented by Steve Grossman, Justin Grossman, Isreal Eleazar and Wes Hood. Prizes included a round of golf for four and $100 gift card to JD Shuckers. Other foursome winners included:

• Second Place Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ Baywood Greens – Dennis Silicato, Bruce King, Ken Branner & Joe Shockley
• Third Place Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ The Peninsula –Cathy Bassett, Zach Evans, Ralph Travis & Bruce Mooney
• Fourth Place Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club – Chuck Desch, Temple Carter, Chris Brosius & I.G. Burton
• Fifth Place Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ Rehoboth Beach Country Club –Chip Lank, Matt Lank, Charlie Towers & John Spandikow
• Sixth Place Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ Ocean Resorts Golf Club—Rich Graves, George Bodmer, Steve Penska & Chris Breslen
• Seventh Place Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ Hooper’s Landing Golf Course – Shane Breakie, Dave Eppes, Dave Kropiewnicki & Steve Andrews
• Eight Place Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ The Salt Pond –Gary Checchett, Jeff Sylvester, Chris Herrmann & Mike Starkey
• Need More Practice Team: Round of Golf for 4 @ Eagle’s Landing Golf Club –Kevin McCahill, Timothy Powell, Michael Bond & Richard Mihalik

On-course competitions include Four “Holes in One“ sponsored by Terry Megee of Megee Motors with no winners this year. Other on-course winners include:

• Closest to the Pin (women): $50 Gift Card Brick Works –Diane Karbonik
• Closest to the Pin (men): $50 Gift Card Brick Works – Wes Hood
• Straightest Drive (women): $50 Gift Card Giant – Dina Law
• Straightest Drive (men): $50 Gift Card Giant – John Mandato
• Longest Drive (women): Gift Basket from Community Bank of Delaware –Debbie Schulenburg
• Longest Drive (men): Gift Basket from Outback Steak House in Rehoboth Beach – Trent Thomas

The day was capped by a plated and served gourmet dinner at the Peninsula to minimize contact. In recognition of COVID 19 guidelines, all golfers and their guests were advised to stay in their seats during dinner and to wear masks when moving about the restaurant. Prizes where delivered to the respective tables. Next year’s tournament is scheduled for June 14, 2021.

Chef Robert (Daugherty), Director of Food and Beverage at The Peninsula wanted to give back to the community that had welcomed him so warmly, and shared with a group of residents from The Peninsula the idea of providing a Thanksgiving dinner, complete with tablecloths and restaurant table settings for the Boys and Girls Club of Oak Orchard. At that meeting, Connie Little, member of the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club, seized on the idea and took it up a notch by suggesting that the Rotary Club not only help Chef Robert on the designated day, but that the Club would offer a series of manner lessons to the children over the months of October and November leading up to the big event.  The Youth Committee of the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club seized on the idea, and the “Manners for Life” program was born.

This idea of a Thanksgiving dinner was not a new concept to Chef Robert, he having done similar work for the homeless in Cambridge, Massachusetts, partnering with the local Rotary Club there. He found the idea of serving the children at the Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club as meeting his spirit of giving objectives, after assisting the club with their Great Futures Gala. The food and beverage team at the Peninsula were on board immediately as well, and the partnership was born.

Connie Little and fellow Rotarians offered a series of mini-lessons to the children at the Club over a series of 5 weeks. Prior to their start, 30 children attending the Personal Care unit offered by the Boys and Girls Club were treated to personal hygiene kits, courtesy of the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club. As part of the Manners for Life program, the Older children, part of the Smart Girls and Path to Manhood group at the Boys and Girls Club, received lessons on Manners 101, How to Be a Good Friend, and Gratitude is the Best Attitude as part of the Manners for Life program. All children attending the Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club were offered training on Manners and Table Setting and Training on Centerpieces, Napkin Folding and Place Cards.

Erica Kennedy, Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club Directory noted: “We welcome new and informative programming into the Boys and Girls Club that will assist our youth with practicing responsible and social performance. And we appreciate our partnership with the Rotary Club and Chef Robert on this very special endeavor.”

On November 26, 2019, Chef Robert and his team arrived at the Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club with a complete Thanksgiving dinner featuring 60 pounds of turkey, two hams, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, salad, and yes, apple and pumpkin pie for dessert. The meal had been pre-cooked at The Peninsula by the food team there and Long Neck Sunrise Rotarians helped with table set up and service. The food, table service and linens were donated, with Peninsula vendors Sysco Food Service, Keany Produce and Capitol Linen donating the lion’s share of the approximate $400 in cost. 108 children were served and take-home meals were also prepared. The children enjoyed every last morsel.

“As providers in the food industry, we received gratuities all the time from our patrons,” remarked Chef Robert. “This dinner was our opportunity to give back.  The Rotary team was instrumental in helping us serve the children. The entire event was a three-team effort.”

“The Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club views our mission to make a difference in our community by serving its youth, adults and business. We have had a longtime partnership with the Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club, providing monthly birthday parties and sponsoring a Pitch, Hit and Run tournament in the Spring,” stated Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club John Berner. “Extending this partnership to inaugurate our Manners for Life program and include Chef Robert and his team from the Peninsula was a wonderful way for us to continue to change lives.”

Pictured From Left to Right: Hygiene kits for boys and girls were donated by the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club; Connie Little (standing) with assistance from Lynn Henry (right) leads a program on centerpieces.; Lucille Cavan (center) with assistance from Cathy Cardaneo (left) leads a Manners for Life program; Children enjoying their Thanksgiving meal.

Pictured from left to right: Children from Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club enjoying their dinner; Oak Orchard Boys and Girls Club attendee, Kalani Ellis, with her Thanksgiving dinner; Long Neck Sunrise Rotarian Mike Hall serves lemonade.