MONROE, CT — Close to 90 participants competed in the Masuk All Sports Booster Club’s annual Golf Outing under a hot sun at Whitney Farms Golf Course Wednesday, one day before the official start of summer.
“I’d rather have a hot day than a rainy day,” said Stephanie Batch, one of the organizers of the event. “I don’t mind the heat. We have lots of cold beverages.”
Women seated at a table under a tent helped golf foursomes register to play. Inside an open bay nearby, tables displayed silent auction items like a baseball autographed by Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta and tickets to the Jam at the Dam concert, scheduled to be held at Z-Topia in Monroe on July 26 and 27.
Gift baskets to be raffled off were donated by Masuk sports teams, families and businesses.
Incorporated in 1969, the Masuk All Sports Booster Club (MASBC) supports the high school’s sports programs and its athletes. Members run the concession stand at games and raise funds to be used when the athletic department’s budget falls short.
Among the many things the MASBC donated over the years were state championship banners, the locker room rental for the boys hockey team, the stadium turf field and a scoreboard for the softball field.
Some of the donations are for smaller ticket items, such as an ice machine in the field house, so trainers have ice to treat injuries.
“We’re trying to give them every opportunity to live up to their potential,” MASBC President Kris Yeager said of Masuk’s young athletes.
The booster club also provides two $500 scholarships to deserving Masuk seniors every year.
Batch said its main goal this year is to raise money for a renovation and expansion of the weight room, making it accessible to more teams, while encouraging more female athletes to use it.
“For us, it takes the whole community, the local businesses and friends who are volunteering their time playing and donating,” said Jason Batch, Stephanie’s husband, who is the co-chair of the golf tournament. “It’s how this whole thing is successful.”
Masuk’s student athletes also contribute to the success of the golf outing. On Wednesday morning they volunteered, helping to set up for the event and serving as caddies for golfers.
The golf outing has traditionally been held in August, but this year it took place on the Juneteenth holiday. Some families went on vacation right after the school year ended, so participation was down slightly.
“It’s still a great turnout,” Jason Batch said.
“Everything has come together very well,” Yeager said. “We had a great committee of volunteers who worked together to get this done on time — earlier this year.”
When the event was held in August, Yeager said there was growing attrition from families taking their kids to college.
Batch co-chaired the event with Fran Welch.
“It was my pleasure to help with the outing,” Welch said.
Welch and her husband, Kevin, who is a teacher at Masuk, have three children, who were all active in high school sports.
The couple’s daughter Lauren was a swimmer and softball player, their other daughter Katie was a volleyball and softball player, and their son Christopher, a rising senior, plays baseball.
“We’re trying to raise money for all the Masuk athletes,” Fran said. “I know they have some wants — things the athletic department doesn’t cover.”
The Golf Committee also includes Stephanie Batch, Joseph Velky, Yeager and Sarah Yeager.
‘That’s Our Que’
Kris Yeager, who used to participate in barbecue competitions with his team, That’s Our Que, made pulled pork sandwiches for golfers to eat at the ninth hole.
Several town officials, grateful educators and coaches attended Wednesday’s golf outing, including Masuk Principal Steve Swensen.
“They’re instrumental to supporting the student athletes at Masuk,” Swensen said of the booster club. “Every time the athletic director and I reach out, they do all they can to support the students, the athletes and the programs. This is their signature event. I hope it continues.”
Kris Yeager said the MASBC can always use more members. There are no annual fees, just a need for volunteers, especially for the golf outing. “We have great ideas,” he said. “We just need people to execute it.”
Those interested joining the booster club can send an email to [email protected].
Masuk Athletic Director Brian Hourigan participated in Wednesday’s golf tournament.
“The work they do for the athletic department and our kids is amazing,” Hourigan said of MASBC. “It’s great work. They put in a lot of time for these events. It makes a huge difference.”
Hourigan said the booster club has been helpful to him since he was hired as the new athletic director last March.
He said the high school just received a grant for the weight room. “We have new equipment and a great staff, but we need more room,” he said.
Hourigan credits Masuk’s weight trainer for scheduling times in the weight room to ensure all teams have a chance to use it, but said an expansion of the room would make it easier for teams to use the space at the same time.
Among the officials at Wednesday’s event were Superintendent Joseph Kobza, Finance Director Ronald Bunovsky Jr., First Selectman Terry Rooney and Town Clerk Vida Stone.
Rooney said he was part of the booster club years ago, and praised the club for raising funds for Masuk athletics. “A lot of great people get together,” he said. “It’s a community thing for a good cause.”
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