The RVCC Foundation raised $158,790 at its recent 20th Annual Golf Classic, a sellout event with numerous corporate sponsors and 132 participants at the Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club in Whitehouse Station. The RVCC Foundation is the fundraising arm of Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg.
Golfers represented a wide range of local businesses from Hunterdon and Somerset counties. Corporate sponsors included this year’s "Title Sponsor," Epic Management, and "Links Sponsor," KeRi Engineering.
To mark the “20th Annual” milestone, the event introduced a special “20 for 20” fundraising promotion. Twenty $1,000 donors contributed to create 20 new $1,000 scholarships for RVCC students.
The June 6 event was student-focused, featuring morning welcome remarks by Nicholas Gallo (Class of 2024). Gallo noted it was the 80th anniversary of D-Day and provided a remembrance about the significance of the largest amphibious invasion in military history that launched the Allied Forces campaign to liberate Europe in World War II.
The national anthem was sung by RVCC students Ollie Johnson (Class of 2024), Katie Strong (Class of 2025), and Sarah Stefaniak (Class of 2023).
On the golf course, there was a demonstration by RVCC Workforce Training Center’s Advanced Manufacturing group, including a 3-D printed putter, ball marks, and divot repair tool.
Additionally, student artists Liz Mathes (Class of 2024), Ollie Yanicek (Class of 2025), and Demetrios Gianakis (Class of 2024) painted landscapes of the 18th fairway. Each golfer received a sample pack of blank note cards featuring cover art by RVCC Arts & Design students Cara Copeland (Class of 2025), Megan Weber (Class of 2024), Meridith Kelly (Class of 2025), and Russell Tam (Class of 2025).
The Classic’s post-golf reception featured “The Payton Teague Trio,” comprised of RVCC student musicians Felipe Primero-Guzman (Class of 2023), Gianmarco Flores (Class of 2025), and Payton Teague (Class of 2024), who set the mood with their jazz performance.
Alexander Floyd (Class of 2019), the RVCC Educational Opportunity Fund Program Engagement Coordinator, provided remarks chronicling his journey at RVCC to his current position.
The RVCC Foundation provides resources that enable the College to enhance its programs beyond public and tuition sources. Net proceeds from the golf outing and auctions support student scholarships, RVCC’s education programming, and other institutional priorities.
For more information about supporting Raritan Valley Community College or becoming involved with next year’s event in June 2025, contact Mike Marion at michael.marion@raritanval.edu or Janet Dunne at janet.dunne@raritanval.edu.
Photo caption: Elizabeth Mathes, Demetrios Gianakis, Sasha Yanicek created art on-site during the event – Photo courtesy: RVCC Foundation.
