New Jersey Charitable Golf Outing Breaks Records
‘Jersey Guys’ 6 – No Lost Causes Recap
Friday, July 23rd, marked the sixth annual ‘Jersey Guys’ golf outing hosted by the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (NJMEP). NJMEP and the Team Eagle Foundation come together every year to host this charitable event, which raises money for young adult scholarships, grants, and educational programs. The golf outing is hosted at Minebrook Golf Club and this year, over 130 golfers, sponsors, and NJMEP staff members helped break fundraising records.
Donate Now to the ‘Manufacturing Cares’ Food Drive!
This fun day of golf directly impacts the lives of so many. Everyone that participated in ‘Jersey Guys’ 6 – No Lost Causes helped change a life for the better.
A Day on The Course
‘Jersey Guys’ starts off with the NJMEP crew showing up bright and early at Minebrook Golf Club to help set up the day. Each year is a little different. This time around the event was completely outside. It was a beautiful day for a BBQ where golfers could enjoy ‘all you can eat’ burgers and hot dogs before their tee times. Drinks of all kinds were available, and each golfer received a snack bag before the day officially began. In addition to the snacks, drinks, and food, each attendee received a collection of ‘MADE in New Jersey’ giveaways and even a special bonus giveaway provided by Delta Dental of New Jersey.
After all the golfers had a chance to eat, grab a drink, and head to the carts, the day really began. John W. Kennedy started off with a quick speech reiterating the importance of ‘Jersey Guys’ and how much the support means to him, NJMEP, and the Team Eagle Foundation. Once the introduction concluded, the shotgun start began.
Over 130 golfers rode to their assigned tee boxes, ready to enjoy a beautiful summer day on the course. Every golfer had the chance to win some amazing prizes in these special events:
Million Dollar Shoot-Out – Every golfer was put into the drawing for their chance to hit at 165 yard shot for a million-dollar annuity. One of the golfers landed about 15 feet from the pin!
$25,000 Hole-in-One Shot – One hole was set aside for the $25,000 Hole-in-One competition. This year was filled with close calls and one skillful golfer landed a few feet from the pin. The witnesses saw the ball role inches from the hole!
‘Pot o’ Gold’ Raffle – By purchasing custom golf balls that sported the NJMEP ‘Hexagon’, golfers were entered to win yet another raffle!
50/50 – No charity event is complete without a classic 50/50.
Once the round concluded, everyone gathered for dinner and to watch the three amazing individuals mentioned below receive their scholarships. The day concluded with the three lucky golfers shooting for their chance to win a million-dollar annuity. A close call left people holding their breath as the ball landed on the green. All this fun was only one aspect of ‘Jersey Guys’. The impact of the event is what makes this golf outing special.
The Impact
For the first time ‘Jersey Guys’ netted over $30,000. 100% of these funds are used to directly support young adults in the local community. The golf outing is just one of the ‘Manufacturing Cares’ initiatives. Over $506,000 has been raised in the past 10 years between all the ‘Manufacturing Cares’ charitable events and campaigns. In 2021 alone, $16,000 has been distributed in scholarships & grants with another $25,000 set aside for NJMEP Youth in Manufacturing/STEM programs. Now, the money raised by ‘Jersey Guys’ is being used to help even more incredible young adults achieve their dreams and push through challenging times.
Three checks were distributed to three individuals on the day of the event. Liyalani “Lili” and Bri Roebuck, as well as Steven Zakin.
Liyalani experienced a tragedy on August 7th, 2020. She was a victim of a senseless shooting in Newark, New Jersey. Lili was in the wrong place at the wrong time and a bullet struck her head leaving her in the ICU fighting for her life. She was 3 days away from leaving for college. Lili accepted the offer to Hampton University where she had dreams of studying to become a Forensic Scientist. Her plans were put on hold while she recovers from this devastating injury. Lili and her family have struggled over the past year and ‘Jersey Guys’ helped raise funds to support her college education once she’s healthy enough to restart her pursuit for higher education.
Lili has a younger sister, Bri who is struggling alongside her sister while she recovers. A scholarship was passed on to her as well. The Roebucks have been through more than most can imagine. This support helps take a small amount of pressure off a family that has been faced with so much tragedy in such a short time.
The third and final check presented that day went to Steven Zakin. Steven is NJMEP’s latest recipient of the Intern Scholarship provided to every student that participates in NJMEP’s internship program.
These three individuals offer only a small look into the hundreds of young adults that benefit from events like ‘Jersey Guys’ and the ‘Manufacturing Cares’ initiative as a whole.
Those That Make ‘Jersey Guys’ Possible
‘Jersey Guys’ is hosted by NJMEP at Minebrook Golf Club. Minebrook offers a substantial discount for such an eventful day as their way of contributing to the cause. The discount they provide allows ‘Jersey Guys’ to net higher and provide more life-changing support to the local community. The event is also sponsored by local businesses and partners including…
- Provident Bank
- NJBIZ
- CIANJ
- Weiss-Aug
- Whippany Actuation Systems
- Creative Workforce
- AACCNJ
- IMSM
- UNEX
- Brewster Washers
- John Johnson Auto Group
- Withum
- Eisner Amper
- Morris Technology Partners
- Jersey Staffing
- Modern Office Systems
- SAX LLP
- Carl Stahl Sava
- Hy-Tek
- Superior Glass & Metal
- Sussex County Community College
- Alexian Pate
- Porzio
- APM Hexseal
- HINJ
- Shocktech
- Wealth Enhancement Group
- Hire Power Construction
- Law Firm of McDonnell- Artigliere
And so many more!
Why ‘Jersey Guys’?
People often ask why the golf outing is named ‘Jersey Guys’ when everyone is welcome to golf. The outing was developed to honor two ‘Jersey Guys’ that should always be remembered. Anthony DeSantis and Bob Beaman dedicated their lives to the local community. Unfortunately, this year a third ‘Jersey Guy’ was added to the event, Chris DePace.
Anthony DeSantis ‘Service to America’ scholarship is reserved for Active Dury military members and veterans or immediate family.
Bob Beaman’s‘ B-Involved’ scholarship sets aside funds that are given to young adults actively involved in their local community.
Chris DePace was a long-time NJMEP Account Manager and passed away after a bout with COVID-19. While he was in the hospital, he asked how Liyalani Robuck was progressing. To commemorate this thoughtful man, Chris was added to the ‘Jersey Guys’ list and a portion of the funds raised by the golf outing was set aside to help Lili and her family.
How to Get Involved
Anyone can get involved in ‘Jersey Guys’ or any of the ‘Manufacturing Cares’ initiatives. Click this link to learn more about how to give back and contribute to these incredible charitable causes.
New Jersey manufacturing is an expansive community of over 11,000 businesses and more than 300,000 employees. When they come together, an amazing amount of good can be achieved.