11th Annual Charity Golf Classic raises proceeds to support CASA of NJ
Photo: The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) unveiled and presented a $375,000 donation to the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Jersey, the beneficiary of its 11th annual Charity Golf Classic. Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron, CLF co-founders, matched each donation from the event, dollar for dollar. Since its first year in 2003, CLF’s Charity Golf Classic has raised more than $5 million to improve the lives of countless individuals.
BRIELLE, NJ – At its 11th Annual Charity Golf Classic on June 30 at the exclusive Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ, the Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) raised $375,000 for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Jersey, this year’s beneficiary. Each year, CLF devotes the event’s fundraising proceeds to a single organization that works to improve the quality of life for those in need.
CASA is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that assists the court and child welfare systems to ensure the safety and well-being of children who are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron, CLF co-founders, matched each donation from the golf outing, dollar for dollar. Over the past 11 years, CLF’s Charity Golf Classic has raised more than $5 million to improve the lives of countless individuals.
“We are so thankful for the support of The Charles Lafitte Foundation and everyone here today,” said the Honorable Thomas H. Dilts, J.S.C., CASA of NJ. “With this generous gift, we will be able to increase our reach to help children all over the state who do not have the family support and resources they need, and we can help train our volunteers, who fight for these children day after day.”
CASA currently reaches about 3,000 children a year. The funds raised at CLF’s Charity Golf Classic will support the implementation of CASA’s Peer Coordinator Model, an organizational change that will exponentially increase the number of children served. The model uses seasoned volunteers to support, coach and supervise advocate volunteers without having to significantly increase staff and budget. The goal is to increase retention by building stronger relationships between all of the organization members – paid staff, unpaid staff and advocates – as well as provide a CASA advocate for every child in foster care.
“It’s hard to imagine how many children in our own communities do not have a loving family to care for them, but we have seen the impact CASA has made over the years on the lives of so many children in New Jersey in need of a nurturing and permanent home,” said Jeffrey Citron, co-founder of CLF. “These funds will help CASA reach and support more children through their Coordinator Model, which sustainably helps train and support volunteers who tirelessly work for these children. We believe so strongly in CASA’s mission that we want to help them continue to build on their successes. We are extremely grateful to our Golf Classic partners, many who have supported this event for over a decade, for their generous contributions to an organization that makes our communities stronger.”
Each year, CLF selects a different non-profit organization as the beneficiary of its signature event. Since the first event in 2003, CLF has devoted the Golf Classic’s proceeds to a single organization that works to improve and enhance communities.
About The Charles Lafitte Foundation
The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) supports innovative and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to achieve healthy, satisfying and enriched lives. The Foundation supports organizations working in four main areas: education, children’s advocacy, medical research & issues, and the arts. The Foundation underwrites programs that can become self-sustaining with long-term commitment and measurable impact. In determining grants, CLF looks for solutions that lead to independence and self-empowerment for individuals, and to the establishment of effective, long-standing programs and organizations.
For more information about the Charles Lafitte Foundation visit www.charleslafitte.org.