Online registration is open. Register here

Already registered? Please submit your team’s information. If your golfers change, simply submit an updated “Team Information” form. We will use the most recent submission prior to the 9th Annual Golf Classic.

Team/Golfer Information

While the Charles Lafitte Foundation’s Golf Classic always delivers a fantastic day of good fun and company, it provides so much more to our beneficiaries. Since our first event in 2003, the foundation has devoted the Golf Classic’s proceeds to a single organization that works to improve quality of life for countless others. Whether by enabling children to go to camp, improving access to healthcare or helping sustain vital services, your contributions are making a real difference.

The 8th Annual Golf Classic will be held on June 20th at the prestigious Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Baltusrol is considered one of the country’s premier private golf clubs. The course has hosted 16 national championships, including seven U.S. Opens and one PGA Championship. In 2016, the PGA Championship will return for a second time.

Hosted by CLF founders Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron, this year’s beneficiary will be Parker Family Health Center. The Parker Family Health Center is a volunteer-based, free health care facility where Monmouth County residents without medical insurance or the ability to pay can be cared for with the same level of dignity and confidentiality afforded in the private sector. The focus is on primary health care, emphasizing disease prevention, health promotion and patient education in an easily accessible facility.

Every dollar raised for this event will be matched by the Charles Lafitte Foundation – dollar for dollar. We hope to see you on the links!

Online registration is open. Register here

Already registered? Please submit your team’s information. If your golfers change, simply submit an updated “Team Information” form. We will use the most recent submission prior to the 8th Annual Golf Classic.

Team/Golfer Information

2011 Beneficiary 

www.parkerfamilyhealthcenter.org

Schedule

8:00 am   Registration & Breakfast
9:30 am   Shotgun Start
2:00 pm   Cocktail Reception
3:00 pm   Lunch Buffet
3:30 pm   Awards Program

Format

Two-man Scramble
25% Handicap

Awards

First, Second & Third Place Teams
Lowest Net Score
Hole-in-One Prizes
Closet to the Pin
Longest Drive

Sponsorship Opportunities

Event Chair   $50,000

• (4) Foursomes/Two tables
• Your organization featured on CLF’s website homepage
• Permanent Partnership Page listed on the CLF website
• Headline placement on all promotional and event materials
• Acknowledgement in all press releases
• Name on cover of event program plus full-page ad
• Your organization listed on the Sponsor Board
• Premium hole sponsor and signage
• Helicopter service to event
• Opportunity to add promotional items to gift bag
• Breakfast, lunch and awards program

Lunch Co-Sponsor  $25,000

• (2) Foursomes / One table
• Premium hole sponsor & signage
• Permanent Partnership Page listed on the CLF website
• Acknowledgement in all press releases
• Your organization listed on the Sponsor Board
• Listing as co-sponsor of luncheon
• Full-page ad in event program
• Breakfast, lunch and awards program

Golf Sponsor  $10,000

• (1) Foursome
• Hole sponsor & signage
• Your organization listed on the Sponsor Board
• Listing in event program, press releases & website
• Breakfast, lunch and awards program

Individual Play Ticket  $2,000

• Breakfast, lunch and awards program

Directions

Baltusrol Golf Club

201 Shunpike Road

Springfield, NJ 07081

This is the second time the foundation has awarded a grant to the Parker Center; a 2007 CLF grant in the amount of $75,000 supported the facility’s pediatric program.

Since its first golf event in 2003, the foundation has dedicated the tournament’s proceeds to a single non-profit organization that works to improve quality of life issues. The funds from this year’s golf classic, hosted by CLF co-founders and board members Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron, were earmarked for the Parker Center because of its status as a free, non-profit, volunteer-based, healthcare facility where Monmouth County residents who lack medical insurance coverage or the ability to pay for medical care can receive health services at the same quality level as patients in the private sector.

The center’s focus is on primary healthcare; dental care; women’s health; cancer screening; disease prevention; health promotion; diabetes and hypertension management; immunizations; and patient education, according to Mary Nicosia, the center’s director/clinical coordinator.

And the need for these, and related services, is great, she added.

“In New Jersey, more than 200,000 people lost their health insurance in recent years,” Nicosia said. “The Parker Center has become the family doctor for approximately 10,000 patients over the last 10 years.”

Every dollar raised for the golf event was matched by the CLF, according to Suzanne Citron and CLF president Jennifer Vertetis, who choose potential charity recipients and make site visits to the hopeful beneficiaries’ locations before deciding on a final choice. During the past several years, the Citron’s daughter, 12-year-old Kyra, now a board trustee, also has played a role in the process. She discusses her own selection and reasons for the choice with her mother and Vertetis.

“Every year, she gives the right answer for the right reason,” Suzanne Citron said, “and it’s tough because as we see a lot of great organizations — really, they’re all so good.”

The annual golf classic reflects the CLF philosophy, said Vertetis, which is that organizations can come together and inspire each other to achieve common goals. Since the first 2003 tournament, more than $3 million has been raised as a result of the event, she added.

“We continue to be inspired by the passion, innovation, and dedication we witness in so many organizations and programs in the community,” she said. “There are great people working together, all with a common mission — to help people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying, and enriched lives.”

The CLF supports organizations in four main categories: education, children’s advocacy, medical research and issues, and the arts. The foundation underwrites programs that can become self-sustaining as a result of long-term commitment.

“With each grant issued, we are taking a step to a better world,” Suzanne Citron noted.

Open six days per week, the Parker Center logs more than 10,000 annual patient visits; there have been more than 80,000 cumulative visits since the 2000 opening. A percentage of the $400,000 will be used to enhance the existing diabetic program that currently cares for more than 100 diabetic patients in a disease management program that offers diabetes care and patient education, said Dr. Roy Carman, the center’s medical director.

“The center relies on the goodwill of more than 200 volunteers, along with that of donors and community supporters,” said Carman. “In these hard times, we try to make life easier for uninsured Monmouth County residents. Most of our patients lost their jobs in the economic downturn, and their health coverage went down with it. They are not your typical ‘hard luck’ stories.”

Dr. Eugene Cheslock, the center’s president, also is aware of this dismal trend.

“During my 35 years of medical practice, I could not help noticing the increasing numbers of the medically uninsured and the resulting strain on the healthcare system,” he said. “National figures on the uninsured fuel the headlines almost daily, but the problem is no different on a local level.”

However, the CLF grant will help change outcomes and increase the availability of healthcare for the uninsured, he added.

“I’m overwhelmed at the foundation’s generosity,” Cheslock said. “Receiving this grant was like celebrating Christmas in June with wonderful, engaging people. The funding meant the world to the Parker Family Health Center and will mean the world to those who need our services. Our patients will get the best we have to offer.”

Addition information about the CLF is available at www.charleslafitte.org. Information about the Parker Family Health Center can be found at www.parkerfamilyhealthcenter.org.

Welcome to our newly redesigned website!  The Charles Lafitte Foundation has been working on exciting projects over the years and we look forward to sharing them with you.  Our new site design provides a convenient way to access the resources of CLF and learn about some of the wonderful work being done in our communities.

We hope you enjoy reading about our featured grantees.  These organizations are powerful illustrations of making the world a better place.  We have also included impact statements, which illustrate the real world change CLF has been able to affect.  We are proud to be associated with these organizations and are honored to be a part of their success.

Planning for the annual Charles Lafitte Golf Classic is underway and set for June 20, 2011.  Each year the leadership of CLF conducts an extensive search and one beneficiary is chosen to be the sole recipient.  Corporations, foundations and individuals come together to play golf and raise money for worthy causes.  To broaden the success, every year CLF matches each dollar raised at the event.  Since 2003, over $3 million has been raised and thousands of lives have been changed for the better.

Another important addition to our new website is information about our Partners.  The corporations, foundations and individuals whom have supported our events, thus directly impacting the success of the worthy organizations selected.  We are awed by the generosity and dedication of our Partners.  It is an honor to list them as a part of our team.

Stay tuned for an upcoming branch of CLF’s work that I am particularly excited about – Kid’s Corner.  Our youngest and most passionate philanthropist, Kyra Citron, will be leading her own grant site, built for and run by kids.  It promises to be an insightful and inspirational program.  We have also added Facebook, RSS feeds and email newsletter subscriptions.  Sign up and we will keep you up to date on our progress.

Twelve years after Jeffrey and Suzanne founded CLF, we continue to be inspired by the passion, innovation and dedication we witness in a so many organizations and programs in our community.  Great people working together, all with a common mission – help people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying and enriched lives.

In Partnership,
Jennifer M. Vertetis

Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron of Brielle, N.J., created a family foundation eight years ago and named it after one of their beloved pets.  Since that time, the Charles Lafitte Foundation has changed many lives through the generosity of its founders who are better known for the telephone company headed by Mr. Citron, Vonage.

The Charles Lafitte Foundation’s seventh annual Golf Classic, held June 28, 2010 at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J., raised $450,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County.

It has been the history and goal of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County, for the past 32 years, to make a positive difference in the lives of at-risk children through professionally supported, primarily one-to-one mentoring relationships with a caring adult, and to assist the children in achieving their highest potential as they grow to become confident, competent and caring individuals.

“Creating a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County benefits a truly important asset – our children.” said Mrs. Citron, who selects the foundation’s beneficiaries herself, along with her husband, daughter and CLF President, Jennifer Vertetis.

“The funds raised will enable us to reduce our list of over 50 children waiting for a mentor, bring awareness to the community of the impact of our programs, and most importantly, expand our services by doubling the number of children being served by 2013,” said William Salcedo, executive director of BBBSMC.

For more information about BBBSMC visit  www.bbbsmonmouth.org

The mission of The Charles Lafitte Foundation is to provide for and support inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying and enriched lives.  To fulfill this mission the Foundation acts as grantmaker, innovator and volunteer for four main programs:  Education, Children’s Advocacy, Medical Research and Issues, and the Arts.  For more information, visit www.charleslafitte.org

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For more information, contact:
Jennifer Vertetis
Charles Lafitte Foundation
jennifer@charleslafitte.org

Autism is a neurological disability that affects normal development of social interaction and communication skills.  The University of Washington has made great strides in the study and treatment of autism, which, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, affects 1 in 150 births nationwide.  Approximately 1.5 million Americans have been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder, which encompasses the varied symptoms and levels of functioning experienced by people living with autism.

The University’s Autism Center offers a variety of assessments and intervention services for children from infancy through adolescence with autism spectrum disorders.  The Center is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism through intervention, education, professional training, and research aimed at effective treatments, prevention and cure.  Due to the high cost of interventions for children with autism, which are not covered by insurance, families are often unable to meet their children’s needs.  The $60,000 grant from the Foundation will directly aide families by helping them afford these vital services.

“It’s daunting to realize that the autism community is growing every day as more and more families experience autism diagnoses,” said Suzanne Citron, Co-Founder of The Charles Lafitte Foundation.  ”The Autism Center is an invaluable resource for families living with autism worldwide by providing needed clinical services, research and professional training programs.  Since the lifetime cost of treating a person living with autism, starting with intensive early intervention, can be staggering, our donation will provide aide to families of the Autism Center to ease their financial hardships.”
The Foundation’s $100,000 grant to the University’s Experimental Education Unit’s (EEU) supports its early childhood center that offers inclusive educational programs and services for children with disabilities and their families in the greater Seattle area.  The EEU programs encourage the development of children’s cognitive, motor and social interactive skills by emphasizing educational and therapeutic interventions that are geared to each of their individual needs.

“The dedication and commitment by the University of Washington’s researchers and clinicians to research and treat autism has made a positive impact in the lives of children living with autism and their families.  By supporting the Autism Center and EEU, we are helping to pave the way for more progress to be made in the fight against autism,” said Jeffrey Citron, Co-Founder of The Charles Lafitte Foundation.

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About Charles Lafitte Foundation: Founded in 1999 by Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron, the mission of the Charles Lafitte Foundation ( HYPERLINK “http://www.charleslafitte.org” www.charleslafitte.org) is to provide for and support inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying and enriched lives.  To fulfill this mission, the Foundation acts as a grantmaker, innovator and volunteer for four main programs: Education, Children’s Advocacy, Medical Research and Issues, and the Arts and has given over $3.25 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations throughout the United States.  Jeffrey Citron is known as both a pioneer and visionary in the financial and telecommunications industries.  He is currently the acting CEO and Chief Strategist of Vonage, a leading provider of SIP-based, VoIP communications services, and previously founded and served as CEO of Datek Online Holdings, formerly the fourth largest online brokerage company, and Island ECN, formerly the second largest global financial exchange.

Contacts:
Jennifer Vertetis
Charles Lafitte Foundation
jennifer@charleslafitte.org

Lauren Ely, MWW Group
201-964-2437
lely@mww.com

She was recognized for her philanthropic endeavors and for being a role model to today’s youth, including the young girls of Monmouth County’s Girl Scout troops.

“Being a Woman of Distinction is more than an honor — it’s recognition that I’m making a positive difference through the grants awarded by the Charles Lafitte Foundation.  The grant given to the Monmouth Council of Girl Scouts as a beneficiary of the 2006 Golf Classic was especially important to me because it is providing young girls with an opportunity that will help make them leaders of tomorrow,” said Suzanne. “Camp Sacajawea is a special part of the Girl Scout program in Monmouth County, and our grant set up an endowment to ensure that even the girls who cannot afford camp receive the necessary financial aid to attend.

Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron of Brielle, N.J., created The Charles Lafitte Foundation in 1999, naming it after one of their beloved dogs.  “Our foundation holds a special affinity for dogs, and we are very excited to be involved with a program that  is able to create a partnership where everyone benefits and grows –the dogs, the inmates and the recipients,” says Suzanne Citron, Charles Lafitte founder.

Following September 11^th the demand for bomb-sniffing and police dogs has quadrupled. Puppies Behind Bars has been continuously selected by the NYPD Bomb Squad and other law enforcement agencies to train dogs to become explosive and drug detections dogs working directly with police to make New York a safer place for residents and visitors alike.

Other puppies trained in the program will go on to become guide and therapy dogs for the physically disabled. Currently, 23 puppies from the program have become guide dogs, allowing their blind users to lead more complete and happy lives, and providing them with constant companionship.

Puppy raisers are carefully screened and evaluated prior to their receiving a puppy, to insure the puppy’s safety. Prison inmates make excellent puppy raisers because of the unlimited time they are able to spend with the dogs, and through the program are taught responsibility, patience and how to give and receive unconditional love – all key aspects of prison rehabilitation.

The success of the program is certainly two fold. “As the puppies mature into well-loved, well mannered dogs, their raisers experience unconditional love, learn to work in a team setting and take responsibility for a live being completely dependent on them” said Annie Teillon, director of development for Puppies Behind Bars.

The mission of The Charles Lafitte Foundation is to provide for and support inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying and enriched lives.  To fulfill this mission, the Foundation acts as grant-maker, innovator and volunteer for four main programs:  Education, Children’s Advocacy, Medical Research and Issues, and the Arts.  For more information, visit www.charleslafitte.org.

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For more information, contact:
Bobbi Schlesinger
schlesinger@freemanpr.com

Robin M. Santos
rsantos@freemanpr.com

212-489-8585

For many families the cost of participation, combined with the fact that most insurance companies will not cover registration fees, prevents many at-risk children from entering the program.  The Charles Lafitte grant will provide funding to support those who cannot afford to participate in the program.

“The Comprehensive Childhood Obesity Program targets several areas in which our foundation has a specific interest, including children’s advocacy and medical research,” says Suzanne Citron, co-founder of the Charles Lafitte Foundation along with her husband, CEO of Vonage Jeffrey Citron. “The program impressed us with its unique approach to obesity through the combination of different elements of physical and mental health.”

The Comprehensive Childhood Obesity Program targets children and youth with a body mass index of 95% and above. The year-long program consists of four main sections: medical care, dietary planning, exercise therapy and psychosocial care.

The dietary care section will emphasize small changes in diet and teach preparation of healthful foods.  It also includes regular meetings with a dietitian. The exercise therapy section of the program will develop a suggested pattern of exercises for the children and locate facilities in the community where they can exercise with little or no cost to families.  Finally, the psychosocial section of the program will allow each child and family to meet with a clinical psychologist who will tailor a treatment plan for their specific needs.

Staten Island University Hospital physicians have found that obesity in children often leads to precursors of serious illnesses, such as elevated cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, and serious illnesses like diabetes.  The Comprehensive Childhood Obesity Program has the reduction of risks for such serious illnesses as a major goal.

“I have been personally involved in the program and I am particularly proud of its results” says CEO of Staten Island University Hospital, Anthony C. Ferreri.

“The young people we help will grow into physically and mentally healthier adults, and, one day, they will be able to start their own kids on healthy lifestyles.”

The mission of The Charles Lafitte Foundation is to provide for and support inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying and enriched lives.  To fulfill this mission, the Foundation acts as grant-maker, innovator and volunteer for four main programs:  Education, Children’s Advocacy, Medical Research and Issues, and the Arts.  For more information, visit www.charleslafitte.org

+++

For more information, contact:
Bobbi Schlesinger
schlesinger@freemanpr.com

Robin M. Santos
rsantos@freemanpr.com

212-489-8585