Drive for the Arts Golf Tournament

(2003)

The Actorsingers of Nashua and the Nashua Senior High School Music Boosters banded together in late August, producing the first Drive for the Arts Golf Tournament at Overlook Golf Club in Hollis. This event netted nearly $4,000, and the proceeds are targeted for the Actorsingers Scholarship Fund and Music Boosters funding.

Since 1997, the Actorsingers organization has awarded scholarships to one or more graduating high school seniors who are pursuing higher education. The recipients are students who demonstrate leadership and scholarship, and have been active in theatre, school events, and in service to their communities.

The Nashua Senior High School Music Boosters organization helps band and choral groups with financial support for uniforms, music instruments, band camp, and trips, along with scholarship support to several graduating seniors.

Rich Glynn and Dave Cote, active members of the Actorsingers and avid golfers as well, drove this first Drive for the Arts Golf Tournament. The Actorsingers adopted the Music Boosters organization, in a successful effort to reach out to a larger community group with a stake in funding the arts for young people. The drivers for this tournament thank all of the golfers, Overlook Golf Club, volunteers who worked the tournament, and the many sponsors and contributors.

This event would not have been possible without support from the greater Nashua community. Lovering Volvo offered a prize of a high-end Volvo sedan for any golfer who made a hole-in-one on a short, straight, par three hole. No one won the car, but one golfer missed it by only six inches. Also, no golf balls hit this sought-after prize where it was positioned throughout the tournament, on the tee at hole 14, reminding golfers that this was the time for a personal best. Additional support came from the Foy Insurance Group, Jiffy Lube, Lifecycle Business Partners, and numerous small and individual businesses.

Everyone who participated in or contributed to this event was a winner. Worthy of note: the foursome headed by Actorsingers President Bob Frasca posted the best team score of 8 under par, and the team headed by Nashua High Music Boosters President Alan Brown posted the next best team score of 7 under. Anthony Courounis Jr., Director of Bands at Nashua Senior High, was a member of the Boosters team.

Emily Lovering, a sophomore at Nashua High and a French horn player in the bands, worked along with her entire family from early in the morning until the end of the tournament. There are always many volunteer jobs—setting up breakfast, signing in the golfers, setting up numerous prize tables, selling raffle tickets, taking pictures, and thanking all the golfers and sponsors who make an event like this a success.

Thanks go to many Actorsingers members who organized, worked, or participated in this event: Dave Cote and Rich Glynn (co-chairs;) Mike Ryder; Kathy, Bob, Emily, and Madeline Lovering; Jeff Bernard; Jennifer Spaziani; Aaron and Tom Ritrovato; Susan Lewis; Bob Frasca; Mike Aramento; Bernadette Boardman; and Pam Gilpatrick.