By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC shoutout is sent along to Romeo Blackmar, a true community servant.  Whenever there is a community volunteer job to be done, you can bet Blackmar will be around to lend a hand.  Whether it’s the Putnam Business Association, The Lions Club or Putnam PRIDE he’s on top of every situation that leads to success.

The TRAVELERS Championship, which has been around under a variety of names since 1952, once again proved this year that it’s a class act in so many ways.  In addition to bringing the Professional Golf Association and its entourage of great golfers to the TPC River Highlands and the people of Connecticut and greater New England, the tournament always brings some wonderful human interest stories to the forefront.

This year was no different.  In fact, there were probably more great tales emanating from the tourney than usual.

The first and one of the most touching stories was witnessing TRAVELERS Chairman of the Board Jay S. Fishman in his courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) present the championship cup to tournament champion Russell Knox.  Fishman, sitting in his wheelchair on the 18th green, was eloquent in his remarks despite being burdened with a device to aid his breathing.  Before congratulating Knox on his win, Fishman thanked everyone involved with the success of the week-long event and directed special thanks to the staff of the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, the primary beneficiary of the 2016 event, for it’s in the treatment of patients with ALS.  The post-tournament presentation had many of the thousands in attendance wiping the moisture from their eyes.

On Thursday of tournament week a dinner for the ALS cause raised $1.1 million in support of research being conducted by the Bruce Edwards Foundation.  Former PGA great Tom Watson presented Fishman with a check for $100,000 in honor of his late caddy Bruce Edwards, who died from ALS.  Watson had never forgotten his longtime caddy and is a spokesman for the Bruce Edwards Foundation.  Edwards who was from Wethersfield was a graduate of Marianapolis Prep school in Thompson.

The TRAVELERS tournament raised $2.8 million which was distributed to more than 500 non-profit organizations in the surrounding communities of the Greater Hartford area.

On the links, the sight of Knox flinging his hat as he sank a 12-foot par putt for the victory will remain implanted in the minds of those in attendance for years to come.  The few who followed Jim Furyk, and the number will grow in years to come, as he shot his record setting round of 58 can boast of witnessing golf history.

Furyk was presented $58,000 for his record setting performance.  Originally he was going to donate it to his own Foundation, The Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation, but when hearing of Fishman’s plight he donated it to the Bruce Edwards Foundation.  When hearing the news Fishman thanked Furyk and in a gesture of generosity he suggested they split the pot.  A total of $29,000 went into each Foundation.

It was a week filled with generous philanthropic and emotional moments.  The tournament also paid tribute to active service members and veterans.  The Veterans Outpost served veterans and their guests food and refreshments at no charge.  The Veterans Outpost was sponsored by Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.    

Among the locals spotted in the throng of more than 300,000 who witnessed the four-day tourney were local residents, Rene and Lynne Morin of Thompson, Bob and Kristen Willis of Woodstock, Michael and Deirdre Artiaco of Putnam and Brian Smith of Putnam.  While waiting for the championship trophy presentation my wife, Donna and I were greeted by Thompson resident Jeff Bolte, who was one of the tournament’s official photographers.

Connecticut may be suffering financially with its struggling economy but the people of the Nutmeg State proved once again that for at least one week we are a generous group and true professionals.

Thompson Golfer part 

of PubLinks Championship…

Thompson resident and Tourtellotte Memorial High School graduate Mike Jezierski was in the elite field of 30 golfers who qualified for the 31st Connecticut Public Links Championship.  The two-day event was held at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield.  The par-72 layout played 7,011 yards for the Championship.

Jezierski qualified on the first day of play, shooting a two over par 74, which put him three strokes behind first day leader Chris Meinke of Longshore Golf Club, who shot a 71.  The lanky Jezierski skied to a 77 on the second day of play, giving him a two-day total of 151.  His score tied him for sixth place, only seven strokes behind the champion Kyle Nolin of Tallwood Country Club.  First day leader Meinke shot a 78 over the final 18-holes for a tournament total of 149.

Jezierski is a sophomore at Worcester State University, where he is a prominent member of the Lancers golf team.  He plays out of Raceway Golf Club in Thompson.

Playing With The Pros…

Matt Desaulnier, president of the Gerardi Insurance Agency in Putnam and Danielson, is one of northeastern Connecticut’s top golfers.  On Tuesday, August 9 Desaulnier was invited to play at Shelter Harbor Country Club in Rhode Island with a number of other golfers and some professionals who were playing in the TRAVELERS Championship beginning the next day.

Desaulnier’s playing partner was Matt Kuchar, who is now in Rio de Janiero on the United States Olympic golf team.  Dustin Johnson was also at Shelter Harbor.  According to Desaulnier, Johnson put on a clinic for all the golfers that was eye opening.

A Story of Brotherly Love…

Michael A. Blanchard was one of the top baseball players to come from Griswold High School in Jewett City.  Following his graduation he moved on to a four-year career at Assumption College in Worcester that eventually led to his induction into the Greyhound Athletic Hall of Fame.  In his junior year, Blanchard was the leading hitter in the country in the NCAA Division II.

Blanchard, the son of Raymond and the late Carol Blanchard, was one of three Blanchard boys including his two brothers David and Jimmy.  All the boys were outstanding students, graduating with honors from Griswold.

Michael Blanchard, who today is an attorney with the firm of Suisman – Shapiro, recently stepped forward in the fight against the opioid crisis affecting the New London area and all of Eastern Connecticut.  He’s been telling the story of his younger brother Jimmy who died of a heroin overdose in 2013.  Jimmy Blanchard was found with two bags and a needle in his arm on a bathroom floor when he succumbed.  He was the 40-year-old father of two young children.

The Blanchard family, led by Michael, has stepped forward after keeping his brother’s story quiet and has become part of a group called Community Speaks Out in a concerted effort to help others who are going through heroin and opioid addiction.  Blanchard and another attorney from the firm, Matthew Auger are working pro bono, hand-in-hand with Community Speaks Out in an effort to prevent more stories like that of Jimmy Blanchard.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “Flatter me, and I may not believe you.  Criticize me, and I may not like you.  Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.  Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”  William Arthur Ward.

(If you have news worthy sports information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

..