September 14, 2009 brought nearly 200 golfers to three courses in the Philadelphia area for a day of good sport, fun, and purpose. The Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon and Militia Hill courses and the course at the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club were filled with supporters of The American Ireland Fund. $200,000 was raised for the AIF and the local beneficiary, BLOCS (Business Leaders Organized for Catholic Schools).
The successful outing was chaired by Jim Kane. Seven former chairs of the outing, Dennis Durkin, Ward Fitzgerald, Jim Lynch, Bob Loftus, Michael McCabe, Joe McLaughlin, and Fran Van Kirk, served as co-chairs.
After a great day of golf, the evening reception and program was held at the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club where Kieran McLaughlin, president of The American Ireland Fund, spoke about Ireland Fund initiatives, thanked those gathered for their support, and encouraged them to become more involved with the Ireland Fund’s mission and programs. The 2009 Philadelphia Golf Classic Leadership Award was presented to Bishop Joseph McFadden , auxiliary to the Archbishop of Philadelphia and board member of BLOCS. BLOCS Board chair Michael O’Neill spoke about the program and accepted the donation from fellow BLOCS board member and AIF committee co-chair Fran Van Kirk.
A spirited auction rounded out the evening.
