This week, the Big Daddy Celebrity Golf Classic & Gala returned to Long Island to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Sports legends, entertainment icons, and business leaders united for an important gathering to honor and raise vital funds for the nation’s first responders, veterans, and military families through their support of the organization.
“The people behind the big scene are very important. Teamwork is very important. We’ve been doing this by ourselves for the first four years after bringing back the classic. It hasn’t been easy, but like the work of Tunnel to Towers Foundation, it is proof that out of tragedy and hardships, you can create a legacy of honor and hope. That’s exactly what we are doing here today,” said Anzhelika Steenolsen, who produces the fundraiser alongside founder Rich Salgado.
(By Knockturnal)
Taking place at Pine Hollow Country Club and Oheka Castle, hundreds were on site for the beautiful day on August 18 that drew in the likes of the biggest names in the sports and entertainment industry. Special attendees who played golf and who came out to support included: Todd Piro – FOX & Friends First; Sal Paolantonio – ESPN NFL Correspondent; Bryan Trottier – NHL Hall of Famer; Hisham Tawfiq – Actor, Former U.S. Marine; Bernard Hopkins – Boxing Hall of Famer; Andrea Canning – NBC Dateline; Bill Daly – NHL Deputy Commissioner; Justin Tuck – Two-Time Super Bowl Champion; Tony Richardson, NFL Legend, and Adam Schefter – NFL Insider, ESPN.
Courtesy Mike Jardeleza, Tunnel to Towers
Foundation)
“What inspires me is all these great men and women that go out and serve us, and many times give their life or get catastrophically injured and leave young families behind,” said Frank Siller, Tunnel to Towers Chairman & CEO, on the course. He explained to Knockturnal how the funds and support from the day would be used for important advocacy. “I think it’s our duty as Americans to make sure that we take care of those families. That should be a promise of every American, right? If somebody goes to serve our country, and God forbid, something happens to them, the same thing if they’re a first responder. And we do that every first responder who dies in line duty in America, every single one of them, we pay off their mortgages. If they have a young family left behind. We do that for Gold Star families as well.”
“What Big Daddy and his foundation are doing here today by is helping and being a part of it is very special,” said Richardson.
(Courtesy Kai Rosovsky, Krosovsky Photography)
After the rounds of golf, attendees headed over to Oheka Castle for an elaborate gala that showcased performances by Jillian Cardarelli and Christopher Macchio.
Founded and hosted by Rich ‘Big Daddy’ Salgado, CEO of Coastal Advisors Insurance LLC, and media personality, along with founding partner Anzhelika Steenolsen. The annual event blends world-class golf, red carpet glamour, star-studded performances, and heartfelt philanthropy – from the greens of Pine Hollow Country Club in East Norwich to the storied halls of Oheka Castle in Huntington.
Sponsors for the event included: David Yurman, Delta Air Lines, Nike, Empire Auto Group, Samuel Adams, and Arizona Iced Tea.
