By Richard Kaufman
On Monday, July 16, at the Hampshire Country Club, in nearby Mamaroneck, N.Y., members of the Greenwich community will come together for the 15th annual Chickahominy Reunion Association (CRA) golf outing.
The CRA was originally created to unite members of the Chickahominy community once a year for a reunion. Over the years, the organization grew, and in an effort to keep the community a part of young peoples’ lives, the CRA began to give out scholarships in 1997 to students who graduated from Hamilton Avenue School and have strong ties to the neighborhood.
Over the past 20 years, the CRA has raised $120,000 in scholarships for students in Chickahominy. To be eligible, a student must be a graduate of Hamilton Avenue School or be related to a CRA member in good standing and who has resided in Chickahominy for three generations or less.
Students must be involved in the community and extra-curricular activities, and show proof of academic proficiency. They also must have a need for financial assistance, and graduate from Greenwich High School, a private local high school or local trade school, and be registered to continue on to college or an accredited school of higher education.
The golf outing, which is now sold out, is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the CRA, and 100 percent of the event proceeds will go towards handing out scholarships to this year’s recipients. The CRA also holds scholarship fundraisers through a Memorial Day event and biannual clam bakes.
This year’s golf outing will feature a full BBQ lunch buffet, as well as drinks and snacks on the course following the 1 p.m., shotgun start. Players will have the chance to win a car from Rye Ford if they get a hole-in-one. After the tournament, there will be an awards ceremony, buffet dinner in the banquet hall, and a raffle.
David D’Andria, Treasurer of the CRA, said his involvement in the organization has meant a lot to him over the years.
“I’ve been involved with the organization for 20 years and since the inception of the golf outing,” he said, noting that next Tuesday’s outing is sold out. “It’s a really good event. We’re very happy we can help and see these young people become something.”
D’Andria said that he grew up in town and continues to live here, and that the Chickahominy community is special.
“It’s such a hard-working group of people, nice, close families, and they’re very proud of their culture,” he said. “Every generation wants to see the next generation do better, and that’s what it’s all about: giving people the opportunity to succeed not only financially, but in life.”
For more information on the golf outing and the scholarships, visit cragreenwich.com.
