October 07, 2008
When more than 100 alumni and friends of St. John’s University
gathered on Monday, October 6, 2008 for a day of golf at the
beautiful Engineers Country Club on Long Island, they were doing
much more than simply engaging in friendly competition while trying
to avoid hooks and slices. They were taking part in the
annual Alumni Golf Outing, a traditional and highly popular event
organized to generate funds to support the Long Island Alumni Golf
Outing Scholarship Fund for St. John’s most deserving students.
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“It’s wonderful to see so many St. John’s alumni and friends
coming together to enjoy a great day of golf” noted Bill Schaeffer
'73CBA, Director of St. John’s Office of Alumni Relations.
“It’s even more gratifying to realize that they’re here to support
the University’s students in a very real way.”
Dark clouds and a chilly breeze couldn’t dampen the festive mood
as golfers were invited to hone their skills at the Club’s driving
range and putting green before venturing onto the course
itself. Throughout the day foursomes challenged each other in
spirited competition, and while the groans from a missed put could
occasionally be heard they usually took a back seat to the laughter
and good-natured ribbing that can only be found when close friends
get together.
“This was my first time at this event” said Bob Kalenka '84CBA,
'91MBA. “It was a wonderful day, catching up with old
friends. I love St. John’s and I came to support the
University and the students while having fun at the same time.”
Following the completion of their 18 holes golfers put their
performance on the course aside as they enjoyed a cocktail
reception and buffet in the Club’s exclusive dining
room. “We thank God for the opportunity to come
together and enjoy each other’s company” intoned Rev. John A.
Kettelberger, C.M., Director of Residence Ministry at St. John’s as
he delivered the Invocation, adding “…in the spirit of St. Vincent,
help us to be mindful of those in our world who are without.”
This year’s Alumni Golf Outing honoree was Michael Keenan '77C,
'79MBA, Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Director for
Wachovia Bank, Long Island. Mr. Keenan was pleased to note
that the event was a definite reflection of the University’s
Vincentian mission in action. “It’s wonderful to see so many
people who came out for such a good cause. I’ll be involved
with this event going forward, because at the bottom line we’re
helping students get a great St. John’s education, and that’s
fantastic.”
Former honoree John Adamovich '75CBA, '88HON believes that many
alumni, including himself, have a personal commitment to supporting
the University that means so much to them. “This event means
a lot to me, because it allows me to personally help out and give
back to St. John’s. We [alumni] were pretty much all in the
same boat. We came to St. John’s, didn’t have much money,
worked hard and got a great education. Today we’re trying to
help other young people have the same opportunities we did.”
Mr. Adamovich attributed much of the Golf Outing’s success to the
dedication of the members of the Alumni Golf Outing
Committee. “We’ve got a really great committee that steps up
every year to make this happen. They work hard, because they
really believe in what events like this are all about.”
Committee member Bill Fontanetta '79SVC agreed. “Giving
back is important to all of us on the committee. We’ve had
many opportunities over the years and we want to make sure that
other young people have the same chance to go to St. John’s and
experience what we did. St. John’s taught us that. The golf
was great, but at the end of the day it’s not about the golf.
It’s about the people.”