The RVCC Foundation raised $158,790 at its recent 20th Annual Golf Classic, a sellout event with scores of 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.
Enthusiastic golfers represented a wide range of local businesses from throughout Hunterdon and Somerset counties. Corporate sponsors were headlined by this year’s “Title Sponsor,” Epic Management, and “Links Sponsor,” KeRi Engineering.
To celebrate the “20th Annual” milestone, the event also introduced a special “20 for 20” fundraising promotion. Twenty $1,000 donors stepped up to create 20 new $1,000 scholarships for RVCC students.
The June 6 event was student-focused, including morning welcome remarks by Nicholas Gallo (Class of 2024). Gallo noted it was the 80th anniversary of D-Day and provided a poignant remembrance about the importance of 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 vibe.
Alexander Floyd (Class of 2019), the RVCC Educational Opportunity Fund Program Engagement Coordinator, provided inspiring remarks chronicling his journey at RVCC to his current position.
The RVCC Foundation provides the 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 the Raritan Valley Community College, the RVCC Foundation, or becoming involved with the 21st Annual RVCC Foundation Golf Classic, that will be held in June 2025, contact Mike Marion, 908-648-8567, or michael.marion@raritanval.edu, or Janet Dunne, 908-648-8355, or janet.dunne@raritanval.edu.
Photo caption: (L-R) RVCC student artists Elizabeth Mathes, Demetrios Gianakis, and Sasha Yanicek (flanked by RVCC staffers Kiswah Khan and Maricel Gorczynsk on far left and right, respectively) created art in real time on the 18th hole at the 20th Annual RVCC Foundation Golf Classic. – Photo courtesy of RVCC Foundation.
