Golfers get ready for the annual Ocean City PBA Local 61 Tournament, which raises funds for good causes. (Photo courtesy Patrolman Colby Meloy)
By MADDY VITALE
Every year, Ocean City Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 61 donates thousands of dollars to good causes, from providing scholarship funds to high school seniors to helping families in need around the holidays.
But each year, it takes a lot of fundraising by the organization to provide the roughly $14,000 annually to graduating seniors, to fund Christmas shopping to give kids a good holiday and to help local sports teams. This year Local 61 provided the money for an Ocean City baseball team to buy a new scoreboard.
One of the biggest ways that the PBA raises money for such charitable donations is through the PBA Golf Tournament. And this year marks a major milestone -- 25 years of the all-day golf outing fundraiser.
It will be held at the Avalon Golf Course on Oct. 14 beginning at 12 p.m. Registration starts at 11 a.m. The cost is $145 per golfer. About 100 participants are currently registered and 45 slots remain open.
Ocean City Patrolman Colby Meloy has been in charge of the tournament for the past two years.
“It usually grosses $25,000 a year. It is one of our biggest money makers for the PBA,” Meloy said Monday. “We count on it and it is normally our second-biggest drive.”
The first, he noted, is the fundraising campaign in which the PBA sends letters to local residents. The letters describe the number of calls the police department responds to throughout the year and other duties. The public, in turn, can make donations to the PBA.
“We pride ourselves on giving to the high school graduates. We try to give back to our community as much as possible to help everyone out,” Meloy explained.
For this year’s golf tournament, there are some special additions. The first is that it will be held once again at the Avalon Golf Course in Cape May Court House. Last year it was held at another golf course.
