The Last Dance

Friday, I golfed in a golf tournament called Deputies for Dimes. It was the 30th annual and sadly the final deputies for dimes. I've played in this tournament many times over the years. It was always well organized and they have had some of the best prices that I've ever seen at any golf tournament.

The man who has organized it for the last 30 years is retired Sergeant of the Broome County Sheriff's Department, Michael Semonco. I have served on a golf committee for a bunch of years and that is hard enough. I can't imagine being the head of the committee for 30 years for a tournament this large. Mike estimates that they raised roughly $200,000 over the last 30 years for The March of Dimes.

The tournament has been played at Endwell Greens, En-Joie, Belden Hill, Ford Hill, and the last one was played this Friday at Chenango Valley State Park. Over the years I have won a set of irons at this tournament three different times. I won a set a Pings that I am still hitting to this day. I won another set of irons a couple of years ago, but I was hitting my Pings so well, I donated the new set to my church's golf tournament. And this past Friday, I won a set of $800 Mizuno irons. Just some of the great prizes that Mike and his committee have gathered over the years.

This Friday, Senator Fred Akshar, a former Broome County Sheriff Deputy, honored Semonco with a plaque for his 30-year commitment helping the March Of Dimes.

The tournament will be missed. Hell, I miss it already. Thank you Mike Semonco, and thank you to your committee and volunteers as well, for all the hard work you've done over the last 30 years.