The Peru Gazette

Annual tournament to benefit patient-centered programs, community wellness 

PLATTSBURGH, NY (5/19/2022) – Golfers can hit the greens while improving the lives of patients in the North Country. The 21^st annual Jim Abbott & Dick Coffey Golf Tournament tees off on Friday, June 3 at Adirondack Golf & Country Club in Peru, NY. Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. with a shotgun start set for Noon. The tournament is hosted by The Hoffman Eells Group CPAs in partnership with The Foundation of The University of Vermont Health Network-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH).

There are 30 teams of four players each for a total of 120 golfers expected to participate. The event features a four-player scramble format and additional contests, including longest drive and closest to the pin. Teams can also play skins and players can take part in a new chipping contest. Mulligans, 50/50 raffle tickets and red tees will also be available at registration.

Proceeds go right back into the community, as The Foundation uses those funds to support patient-centered programs, help purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment for the hospital and its practices and improve the health and wellness of the community. The event raised $13,000 last year and has brought in nearly a quarter-million dollars ($236,000) since it began in 2002.

The tournament was started in memory of Dick Coffey, an avid golfer and well-known accountant in the Plattsburgh area, who passed away in 2001. Jim Abbott was a partner with Coffey at the Abbott, Frenyea, Russell & Coffey PC firm and passed away in 2010. Like Coffey, Abbot was an immense community supporter and loved to golf. The tournament continued in both their names after Abbott died. From the very beginning, Dick Coffey’s children have come back to the Plattsburgh area every year to celebrate their dad and help improve the lives of people in northern New York.

“It’s a great opportunity to get the family together,” Dan Coffey, one of Dick’s three sons, noted. “We try to get together for weddings and things like that. And during the pandemic, we’ve talked and played games online. But, that’s just not the same. The tournament is something we all mark on our calendars.”

“The memories of Jim and Dick are living on thanks to the generosity of people in our area,” Foundation of CVPH Events and Special Projects Manager Michelle Senecal said. “I think knowing that a game that Jim and Dick loved is touching the lives of so many people is very meaningful to their families. Anyone who signs up to play in this tournament is truly making a difference in the North Country.”

Learn more about the Jim Abbott & Dick Coffey Golf Tournament by visiting https://www.cvph.org/Foundation/Abbott-Coffey-Golf.