By Sharon Space-Bamberger
LIBERTY — If you want a fundraiser to be done correctly, ask a busy person like Harry Fox to chair the event.
Fox is Past Exalted Ruler (PER) of Liberty Elks Lodge #1545 and the 2008 District Deputy (DD) of the Eastern Central Region of the New York State Elks. In spite of his responsibilities, Harry and his equally busy wife, Peggy, coordinated the efforts of lodge volunteers to make Liberty Lodge’s seventh annual Golf Tournament a rousing success.
The event was held recently at the Sullivan County Golf and Country Club in Liberty. Eighty golfers and “Dogie” the dog enjoyed the course.
It is only a coincidence that the man who supplied the succulent corn and tender chickens for the tournament’s dinner was a member of the team which placed first.
Harry and Peggy Fox know everyone, which comes in handy when you ask people to volunteer at a fundraiser or solicit donations of prizes from local merchants and lodge vendors.
To raise money for tournament supplies and prizes, raffle books were given to Liberty Elks to sell. Some sold three or four books, but Lauree Novogrodsky of Liberty sold more than $400 worth of raffles. She was given a hat from Liberty Trading Post, which donated some of the prizes.
Peggy Fox, a retired legal secretary and secretary of the Liberty Lodge, is detail-minded, but the details of a charity golf tournament would give someone who earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard angst.
For instance, how many baked potatoes need to be washed and wrapped in foil for 80 golfers and numerous volunteers?
What do you do when the printer misspells golf balls and calls them “gold balls” on the raffle tickets?
The answer is you spray paint the golf balls gold and that prize becomes a yearly tradition.
The Elks’ Chef, Alex Kavleski, baked 130 potatoes at the lodge and transported them to the Route 52 Steakhouse for the dinner. Nick of the Liberty Diner, who also owns the Steakhouse, graciously allowed the Elks to use the upscale restaurant for their after tournament chicken dinner and awards ceremony.
The Foxes want to thank those who helped make this year’s tournament a success. Peggy hesitated to name names for fear she would forget a volunteer.
“There were so many people who helped,” Peggy Fox said. “We especially want to thank Lyman and Jean Wood and their fabulous crew for the delicious chicken barbecue and for husking all that corn. We also want to give a big thanks to the lunch cooks and all of our other volunteers.”
Harry Fox praised the golfers who competed.
“We appreciate their support,” he said. “The Middletown Elks Lodge #1097 sent five teams.”
The team which won first prize was headed by Garry Cassevah of Garry’s Great American in Liberty. Cassevah, Lance Brookins, Walter Herzog and Dave Bonsick scored 11-under par. Garry’s team, which then included Justin Bowers, also won the Liberty Elks fifth annual Golf Tournament in 2006.
“But you can’t have the trophy,” Harry Fox said to the winners. “It and the plaque will be at the Lodge with your names engraved on them.”
Each member of the winning team received a $50 gift certificate from the golf course’s pro shop.
The traditional gold golf balls were won by Frank “Snake” Edwards of Liberty. “Dogie,” Lenny Steinberg’s Sheltie, rode in his master’s golf cart and respected the greens.
“Dogie’s team came in two strokes less than the team of Dale Argent, the Liberty Elks’ Exalted Ruler,” Harry Fox said.