Produced by: Office of Communications, Institutional Advancement
June 19, 2013
The Fr. Dorr Golf Classic is all about supporting scholarships for St. John’s most deserving students. It’s a great example of the University’s Vincentian mission in action, and a commitment that’s been close to the heart of Rev. James F. Dorr, C.M. ’79GEd. for the past 26 years.
“I worked my way through college, so I know what it’s like for a student to be faced with tuition expenses every semester,” he said. “And during my first three years after ordination, I worked in the overseas missions in Panama, where I saw poverty firsthand. St. Vincent urges us to work with the poor, and I have a personal commitment to help those in need whenever I can. The people who come out to help us every year are so incredibly generous. I’m honored to be associated with them.”
It began as the Newman Golf Classic in 1988, and was renamed in honor of Fr. Dorr in 2008. To date, 125 students have received scholarship assistance from this initiative, and it is expected that this year will see the addition of $150, 000 to the scholarship fund.
“The Fr. Dorr Golf Classic gets better every year,” noted Committee Chairperson Gregory Pond ’80C, ’83L. “We have a great group of people who really care about St. John’s, and they support this event year after year. We like to think that we’re helping to make a St. John’s education possible for the next generation.”
For William Lavin ’65CBA, ’92HON, memories of working 40 hours per week while a student on the Schermerhorn Street campus is reason enough for him to have participated for the past 23 years. He strongly believes that if alumni have an opportunity to show their appreciation to the University by reaching out to current students, they should make it a point to do so.
“I look back at the education that St. John’s gave me and realize that one of the things the Vincentians taught us was to give back,” he said. “Being a part of this event is a great way for me to show my appreciation, because the proceeds go directly for student scholarships, which is something I believe in very strongly. Without our help, some of those students might be unable to go to St. John’s.”
Regardless of when they graduated, St. John’s continues to play an important part in the life of many alumni. They are especially pleased that the University has remained true to the ideals that have served as its foundation for so many years.
“Many of the students at St. John’s are still the first in their family to go to college,” noted Kevin Reed ’75C, a member of the University’s Board of Governors, “and the Fr. Dorr Golf Classic is a great opportunity to provide scholarships for these young men and women. I’m a strong believer in the University’s mission of reaching out to help others, and this is a great way for me to show my appreciation and give back.”
At the end of the evening, the guests stood to give Fr. Dorr a rousing round of applause when he was presented with a special cake in honor of the 55th Anniversary of his ordination as a Vincentian priest.