Pitch and Putt for a Purpose: Alumni Golf Outing Supports Scholarships

September 25, 2012

Loads of sunlight and crisp fall air: the recipe for a perfect day of golf, and guests enjoyed just that at the 2012 Alumni Golf Outing. Held at the beautiful Mill River Club, this year’s event raised approximately $60,000 in support of student scholarships.

Photo gallery

“The weather was tremendous and the golf course here is wonderful,” said Scott Watson ’81L, a dedicated alumnus and longtime member of the Alumni Golf Outing Committee. “And what’s most important is that we’re helping students receive scholarships. Simply put, it’s essential that we continue to support the place that gave us an education.”



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This year’s outing honored Theresa Ahlstrom ’83CBA, Partner at KPMG LLP. Many guests, like Kevin Harding ’77CBA, ’81L, were glad to come out and support Ahlstrom for this special recognition.

“The relationships you build with other alumni at St. John’s are tremendous,” Harding said, “and it’s amazing how many fellow graduates you run into in business. I’ve known Theresa for a long time – we’ve crossed paths in a lot of different ways – so to come here for a beautiful day of golf and to support her is a lot of fun.”

During cocktail hour and dinner, Ahlstrom – herself a former scholarship recipient – spoke to the guests about the importance of giving to the University.

“When I was first approached by the committee about this honor, I clearly recognized that it had nothing to do with my skill on the golf course,” Ahlstrom joked. “But I am very proud to say that one of my wonderful responsibilities at KPMG is our annual giving campaign. There are many St. John’s alumni working at KPMG, and we have created two very large endowments over the years to support today’s students. It is incredibly rewarding to know that we have made a small difference and made a college education possible.”

Senior Anthony Treadwell ’13CPS, the most recent St. John’s student to receive a scholarship thanks to the Alumni Golf Outing Scholarship Fund, attended this year’s dinner and expressed his thanks to the alumni who so generously gave of their resources.

“This scholarship is a huge relief,” said Treadwell, who double majors in Mass Communications and Sport Management and currently interns with the Brooklyn Nets. “Between classes and my internship, I’ve been incredibly busy, so this will really help me out moving forward.”

But as Treadwell pointed out, scholarship support is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to alumni giving.

“I’m grateful for our strong alumni base,” Treadwell said, “and if you fully embrace that, you can benefit greatly. Just networking with them, speaking with them and learning from their years of expertise – it’s all incredibly useful, and I’m glad that I can chat with them tonight.”

A silent auction and raffle rounded out the evening, and Mark Andrews, Associate Director for Special Constituents in the Office of Alumni Relations, thanked the guests for their support.

“It’s always great to gather on the golf course for a friendly round of 18,” Andrews said. “But it’s all the more special when you can simultaneously make a difference in the lives of our students. Thanks to your generosity, this has once again been an incredibly successful event, and I thank you for your support.”