PARSIPPANY — Delta Dental of New Jersey announced that the 27th Annual Delta Dental of New Jersey (DDNJ) Golf Classic raised more than $60,000 for Special Olympics New Jersey (SONJ), a nonprofit organization that provides sports training and athletic competition to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This year’s event set a record for funds raised and the annual event has raised a total of more than $1.16 million for SONJ since 1990.
“We are proud of our decades-long commitment to helping Special Olympics New Jersey make dreams come true for so many talented Special Olympic athletes,” said Randy Stodard, Vice President and CMO, DDNJ. “We want to thank all the golfers, sponsors, and volunteers who have enabled these athletes to participate in the individual and team sports that they are passionate about.”
For the second consecutive year, the Golf Classic was held at Ballyowen Golf Club in Hamburg on May 19. Among the golfers in the tournament were three SONJ athletes, including Dane Klewsaat, who provided a deeply personal connection to the event’s mission by teeing off with each group playing the ninth hole and discussing his passion for participating with SONJ to achieve his goals.
“With another successful Delta Dental golf outing, the funds raised will help 2,500 athletes compete at the Summer Games which was held from June 9 to June 11, as well as training and competition events throughout the year,” stated Heather Anderson, President and CEO, Special Olympics New Jersey. “The funds help cover equipment, uniforms, meals and housing costs incurred by Special Olympics New Jersey so that we can continue to provide free competition to our athletes year-round.”
Following the round of golf, participants had the opportunity to hear from several SONJ athletes, who spoke about the significant impact SONJ has had on their lives. Funds were raised by sponsors, DDNJ’s employees, golfers, and raffles.
Brown & Brown Benefit Advisors, New Jersey Dental Association, and Summit Medical Group were lead Platinum Sponsors. 8 West Consulting, BLUE449, Greenberg Traurig, and MWWPR were Gold Sponsors.
