Second Annual HPA Memorial Golf Tournament
The Holliston Police Association (HPA) held their 2nd annual Memorial Golf Tournament at Pinecrest Golf Course on Saturday. The event benefits the scholarships honoring Officer John Johnson and Lieutenant Shawn Moore.
Denise Moore and Jessica Aronson ran the registration table behind photographs of the two men as the wife of Lt. Moore and daughter of Officer Johnson, respectively. The two kept busy with approximately eighty golfers registered and many family members and friends coming up to say hello and show support.
Joanne Garry, one of the organizers, explained that the tournament came about as a result of a need for funds for the HPA to provide scholarships to Holliston students. The scholarships are given to graduating seniors who pursue degrees in criminal justice and other social sciences, according to the HPA.
“We have a lot of returning customers and have increased the scholarship from $500 to $2000, helping to continue the effort. This is a family effort in honor of Moore and Johnson, we get to see that the community still cares. The scholarship is a good way to preserve their legacies” explained Sgt. Matt Waugh.
Sgt. Waugh (center) addresses the golfers as they gear up to hit the course
The golfers packed into dozens of carts and lined up for a barrel start, with different teams being sent to different holes. With the great prizes in mind, such as a free Harley Davidson for a hole-in-one on hole 10, there was an air of healthy competition.
The golfers had a wide variety of connections to the two honorees and their families. Dan Barone shared that “Shawn Moore was my first football coach. That’s what drew me and my friends to this event. It’s a worthy cause and we’re happy to be here.”
The blind raffle had stakes of its own with countless prizes ranging from signed memorabilia by Rob Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, and Craig Kimbrel to a “money tree” of scratch tickets and even a free evening of rental at the Holliston Historical Society Barn.
As the day bloomed into a sunny seventy degrees, the event organizers and participants were in good spirits for the hours of golf followed by lunch, prizes and drinks.
Jessica Aronson points out some last minute changes to Sgt. Waugh as the crew keeps things running smoothly.