September 13, 2013
The Viscardi Center held its Inaugural Golf Outing on September 10 at the prestigious Meadow Brook Club in Jericho where over 100 new and long-term supporters and board members teed off raising vital funds for the Center’ programming. Patrick Curtin, Global Head of Asset Manager Services, Citi Securities and Fund Services, was honored at the event.
“We’re extremely pleased with the success of this event,” commented John D. Kemp, President and CEO of The Viscardi Center. “Our core mission for the past 60 years has been to prepare children, adolescents and adults with a variety of disabilities, through education and skill building, for entry and re-entry into the workplace and to live meaningful lives. Proceeds from this event will help us to continue to provide and enhance the vital employment training and placement services Abilities, Inc. at The Viscardi Center provides to thousands of individuals each year so that they too can have the financial independence they want and deserve.”
During the program, Russ Cusick, Chief People Officer at Swiss Post Solutions and Chairman of the Abilities, Inc. at The Viscardi Center Board, told a touching story of an employee at his company who had a disability and the impact being employed had not only on this individual, but his family. In fact, several speakers spoke about the tangibles and intangibles employees with disabilities bring to their respective companies and the good business sense it makes to hire qualified individuals with disabilities. Kemp encouraged attendees to think about what they could do to assist in increasing the number of people with disabilities participating in today’s workforce, “Make a hiring policy change to interview at least one qualified person with a disability for every open position. Join our Business Advisory Council. Offer an internship.”
Major event sponsors included Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers, Compari America, First Long Island Investors, LLC., Fund For the Poor, Empire Merchants and Network Infrastructure, Inc. The full-day event included a brunch, a best ball shotgun start, Hole-in-One Challenges, cocktail reception, silent and chance auctions, and awards. The event was co-chaired by Phyllis Angello, retired IRS operations manager, Richard Seery, president of Seery Systems Group, and Roy Danis, Managing Director of Campari America.
Auction items included golf resort packages and rounds of golf at prestigious courses around the country and on Long Island course and numerous sports memorabilia and experiences, including an autographed football from Joe Namath, autographed photos of Jack Nicklaus and Tyson Chandler, and autographed boxing shorts from Muhammad Ali.
The event was so successful that it will become a tradition: dates are already being considered for the 2nd Annual Viscardi Center Golf Outing next year.