Turkey Classic raises money for meals

Heather Alterisio, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·3 min read

Aug. 23—NEWBURYPORT — What started on a whim with members of a local "dads club" looking for one more outing on the course before the golf season ended in November turned into the Turkey Classic — an annual golf tournament raising money to help local families receive meals during the holidays.

Returning for its second year on Nov. 6, this year's Turkey Classic will benefit the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund and bring Thanksgiving meals to local families in need.

The Greater Newburyport Dads Club unofficially started about seven years ago when Matthew Blanchette and a couple of guys started meeting up at the Neptune Cub for $1 draft beers every week.

As time went on and the men invited friends to join them, the group grew to about 40 guys meeting up once or twice a month at local establishments.

Blanchette, a Newburyport resident and licensed real estate agent, doesn't have any children, but everyone else did and so the group dubbed itself the "Dads Club."

Last fall, Blanchette, Graham Wright, Sean Corbett, Paul Ruggiero, Randy Bochino, Erik Scorcia and Steve Genegaban started talking about a potential golf tournament with the goal of getting at least 12 guys together.

The idea for the event spread quickly by worth of mouth though and not too long after, they had 40 people committed. The group then made the decision for the event to be a charity tournament with the goal of donating a few hundred dollars to the Friends of Newburyport Youth Services.

What started as an idea of 12 guys meeting up for a day of golf turned into an event with 12 times the number of people.

The impromptu tournament ultimately raised $4,600 for Friends of Newburyport Youth Services, which helped the organization feed more than 40 local families last Thanksgiving.

"It was really humbling that we were able to raise close to $5,000 last year and just bring people together at a time that they needed us," Blanchette said, noting that the need is just as great as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the community.

Earlier this year, Blanchette became a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 231 Newburyport. The council has since agreed to host the annual Turkey Classic alongside members of the dads club.

"The priority of this event is still and always will be to provide food for families who are looking for Thanksgiving dinners," Blanchette said, adding that the group has since adopted the slogan "Put a turkey on the table" for the event.

The Turkey Classic will tee off at 8:30 a.m. on the first Saturday in November at Apple Hill Golf Course in East Kingston, New Hampshire.

Stephen Lundquist, owner of the golf course, donated $150 in prizes to the event last year and has offered to help in various ways again this year.

This year's fundraising goal is $10,000. Tickets start at $135 for a single ticket and $540 for a team of four.

To register for the event, donate prizes for the raffle, become a sponsor or volunteer, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/second-annual-turkey-classic-tickets-164757615463.

For more information, contact Blanchette at 978-697-5135.