When These Friends Reunite, The Community Benefits

     What began as a reunion for a group of friends who grew up in Sandwich and attended high school together has evolved into an annual event that benefits local nonprofit organizations.
     Nearly 10 years ago, friends Brian C. Peters and Sean E. Creedon decided to hold a golf tournament at Holly Ridge Golf Club as a way to get together with their former classmates and to catch up with one another on what was going on in their lives. At the time, most of the friends were either in college or had just graduated. 
     On July 26, 1999, a group of 15 golfers teed off at the first hole of the par-three golf course and began what would become known as the “Holly Hog Invitational.”
     Mr. Peters, who now lives in South Boston, explained that the name Holly refers to the venue for the event and the name Hog references a small pond located just across from the clubhouse.
     Over the years, the players have traveled from as far away as California and Colorado to attend the annual tournament, which is traditionally followed by a barbecue at the home of Mr. Peter’s parents, Regina T. and John R. Peters on Old Forge Road.
     Conversations among the golfers have changed through the years from talk about first jobs and career plans to the challenges of parenting and child rearing. 
     Mr. Peters noted that the number of people who show up for the barbecue portion of the day has increased and now includes spouses and children. “Holly Hog is that one time when we know we are going to get together and it has become a very special time for us,” he said. 
     Originally, the tournament was just meant to be a fun-filled day for a group of friends. 
     But, by 2002, the number of players in the tournament had grown to 50 and the purpose of the annual event evolved from a reunion to an opportunity to raise money for a local charity. 
     “We had reached a point where we had several dozen people playing in the tournament that we thought, ‘Let’s throw in some extra money to give back to the community,’ ” explained Mr. Creedon. 
     Mr. Creedon said the tournaments have raised upward of $8,000. 
     This year, he said, a decision was made to officially form a nonprofit organization that will raise money not just from this event but throughout the year. “Because this is the 10th annual Holly Hog, we decided to make it official,” said Mr. Peters.
     Called the Holly Hog Charitable Foundation, Mr. Creedon said the organization just received its official nonprofit 501(3)(c) status this week. 
     According to the foundation’s website, the goal is to assist organizations on the Cape that have a strong focus on education, youth services, and healthcare. The foundation is committed to building substantial endowments through charitable, tax-deductible donations that come from private donors and fundraising events, like the golf tournament. Mr. Creedon said that the tournament is still by invitation only and explained that the group did not want the event to become so big that it lost the original flavor of a group of friends getting together.      
     Although he envisions the golf tournament as being one of the biggest fundraising events, it will not be the only one. He said the board will be coming up with other ideas to raise money throughout the year.  
     The foundation has already named two standing beneficiaries: the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape & Islands in Sandwich and a scholarship fund for a graduating senior from Sandwich High School. Apart from those two, Mr. Creedon said each year the board of directors of will decide upon a few other beneficiaries, as well. 
     “We try to think of nonprofit organizations that are personal to us or to one of the players in the tournament,” Mr. Peters explained.  Over the years, donations have been made to the American Diabetes Foundation and cancer research in the names of players’ parents who died.
     Mr. Creedon said this year, the board has decided to donate money raised from the golf tournament to the Melanoma Research Fund at Beth Israel Hospital and to the Pan-Mass Challenge Team Sheehan. He explained that one of the players in past tournaments, Gary Sheehan, has been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will be participating in the challenge, which is scheduled for the same day as the tournament. As luck would have it, however, Mr. Creedon said that because the first leg of the challenge ends in Bourne, Gary might be able to attend the barbecue portion of the Holly Hog Tournament.
     While one might be inclined to credit the generous hearts and character of the original group of young men who decided to turn this reunion into an opportunity to give back to the community where they grew up, Mr. Creedon is shy to accept full credit. 
     “I think it speaks to good parenting, good teachers, and good coaches,” he said.
     This year’s tournament will begin at 8:30 AM on Saturday, August 2. Donations to the Holly Hog Charitable Foundation can be made by visiting the website, Hollyhog.com; or checks can be mailed to Holly Hog Charitable Foundation, PO Box 752, South Yarmouth, MA 02644.