VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse family fighting breast cancer with golf
Caleb Spinner: The golf course. For many, hitting the links is a weekend pastime, as is the case for Jack Venditti.
Jack Venditti: Golf is a hobby of mine. It’s a hobby of a lot of people. It’s a good way to get a lot of people together for a good time. And it’s the fall, and there’s a great time to play golf here in upstate New York.
Spinner: But today, Venditti is golfing with a larger goal: fighting breast cancer. At the Stone Creek Golf Club in Oswego, Venditti and others are taking part in a golf tournament. The event, hosted by Men Wear Pink of Syracuse, is a fundraiser for the group’s battle to end breast cancer. For Venditti and his family, this fight is personal.
Venditti: I have several friends and family that have been affected by breast cancer specifically over the years. In the Venditti household, my sister and my brother-in-law are dealing with a struggle as we speak. I’ve helped in the past, but this was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss this year.
Spinner: Venditti is proud of the work he does with Men Wear Pink.
Venditti: It’s a good feeling, being a part of this community and raising this type of awareness for a greater cause.
Spinner: Along with Men Wear Pink, Venditti and his family are taking on breast cancer like they do everything: together. In Oswego, Caleb Spinner, NCC News.
OSWEGO, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — For most people, golf is a relaxing hobby. But for one Syracuse organization, it serves a bigger purpose.
On Sunday, Men Wear Pink of Syracuse hosted a golf tournament at Stone Creek Golf Club in Oswego. Helping to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the event was aimed at raising funds for the group’s future events and programs.
The tournament teed off at 8 a.m. on a damp and chilly day. Jack Venditti said he was pleased with the number of people who showed up, despite the conditions.
“We ended up getting 16 teams,” Venditti said. “I’m very happy with the turnout. There are a lot of people who traveled from all over to be here today to support.”
According to its website, Men Wear Pink is committed “to creating a future free from breast cancer” through “engaging community leaders and influencers.” The money raised by the organization across the country goes toward funding services for early detection, prevention and research.
Venditti said he’s proud to be a part of the search for a cure through his work with Men Wear Pink, partly because it’s personal.
“Breast cancer affects a lot of households,” Venditti said. “If you get involved with any event, you’ll see that the people who do it do it right. They take the right amount of time, and there’s a lot of passion there. It’s a good feeling being a part of the community and raising this kind of awareness for a greater cause.”
Men Wear Pink has a busy schedule for the rest of October. Venditti joked about one future outing, at which his misery could be an incentive for more donations.
“Two weeks from now, we’re doing a ‘Dunk Your Manager’ day with a food truck, where employees will pay money to dunk their favorite manager into a dunk tank,” Venditti said. “Hopefully it’s cold, so it’s painful for all of us managers.”
The organization is also raffling off tickets to the upcoming Syracuse football game against Miami, as well as a men’s basketball game against Duke.
Visit Men Wear Pink’s website to learn more, make a donation, or get involved.