Jersey Guys Crazy 8s Shows Manufacturing CARES
Team Eagle Foundation and NJMEP’s Manufacturing CARES are both gearing up for the 8th Annual Jersey Guys Golf Outing—Crazy 8s—which takes place at the Minebrook Golf Club in Hackettstown, New Jersey. This year is particularly special because this will be the last one for John W. Kennedy, founder of Team Eagle Foundation, and NJMEP CEO Emeritus. This year’s Jersey Guys Golf Outing is also significant in that it will be the last for the Team Eagle Foundation—a charitable organization that was founded by John W. Kennedy in 2010. To date, the program has supported over 800 individuals with scholarships and grants, and has been a way for manufacturing to give back to the community it serves.
Outside of benefitting a great cause, the event also offers both experienced and novice golfers and attendees an afternoon of sun, fun, food, and friendly competition—with participants having the potential to win the $25,000 Hole-in-One-Shot and the Million-Dollar Shoot-Out! “It’s an affordable golf outing which allows so many organizations to take part,” says Mike Womack, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at NJMEP. “The best part is, every single dollar raised goes directly to student scholarships and food banks—it’s hard not to get excited about the event,” he adds.
On top of Jersey Guys being an event where industry partners and leaders can come together to have fun, there are some great charitable causes at the heart of the event that help us give back to the communities we serve. “This is one of those events that gets the whole NJMEP team, and the entire industry excited each year. John [Kennedy] started this golf outing 8 years ago and every time it takes place, we raise more and more money for those who really need it,” says Womack. In the wake of Covid-19 and the economic downturn that’s looming on the horizon, the industry’s support is needed now more than ever. “People—especially young adults—need a helping hand. The contributions to the [Team Eagle] foundation go directly to supporting these students as they develop critical life skills and enter the working world,” says John W. Kennedy. This is all part of NJMEP and Team Eagle’s initiative to help change the perception of manufacturing careers and show young people that there are great opportunities to have rewarding careers in advanced manufacturing.
Last year, the seventh annual Jersey Guys smashed previous fundraising records and raised a total of over $32,000, which went to supporting scholarships and community foodbanks in the area. This year, Team Eagle and NJMEP are expecting to give away $25,000 in awards, which would bring the total value of donations to over $800,000 since the foundation’s start in 2010! All the proceeds from this important event go toward supporting Scholarships and Education Grants that will benefit groups like the NJMEP Summer Jobs Program, FIRST Robotics, County College of Morris, Veteran’s Groups, Boy and Girl Scouts STEM, Junior Achievement, and many more. Join NJMEP July 21st and help the Team Eagle Foundation and Manufacturing CARES break fundraising records again for the second year in a row!