MCAA golf tournament scores hole-in-one for scholarship fund

The John Glenn Squadron of the Marine Corps Aviation Association has much to be proud of. The non-profit group has given away more than $45,000 in scholarship money to Southern Maryland students since beginning its scholarship program two years ago, and if the money raised at its recent golf tournament is any indication, MCAA will be giving away much more in years to come.

The squadron held its 4th annual John Glenn Orbital Golf Classic Sept. 17 at the Cedar Point Golf Course. That tournament netted the group $18,000 that will go directly into the merit-based scholarship fund.

‘‘This is a long-term investment in our future,” said Marine Aviation Detachment Commanding Officer Col. Art Tomassetti, ‘‘We use this money to encourage kids who are planning on entering the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics in the hopes that they will one day come back into the aviation field.”

Last year, the second year into the program, the group awarded $23,000 in scholarships to six students from five different schools.

‘‘What we want to do is help the very finest kids from the local area get on to the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines in college,” explained Stephen Waugh, the coordinator for this year’s golf tournament. ‘‘There are so many superb kids here, they are truly incredible.”

Corporate sponsors and more than 80 golfers participated in the tournament that offered prizes such as two round trip airfares, a flat panel TV, a set of Callaway irons and a Harley Davidson Fat Boy. ‘‘We didn’t give away the Harley,” Waugh said. ‘‘But Armando De Guzman from HX 21 won the flat panel TV with a hole-in-one at hole six.”

‘‘I’m still riding high from it,” DeGuzeman laughed. ‘‘As I approached the flag stick I was able to see the bottom of the cup, and there was my Pro V1 number three leaning against the pin. I got goose bumps up my back to my neck.”

DeGuzeman chose to play in this tournament specifically because he wanted to help support the MCAA and its mission to help students achieve a college education. ‘‘To connect with a hole-in-one at such a worthy cause made it even more special,” he said.

High school students from Southern Maryland tri-county (St. Mary’s, Charles, or Calvert) public, private, home schools and the dependents of John Glenn Squadron members who are pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit www.mcaa-jgs.org. ‘‘High school seniors who meet the application criteria should go online and apply,” said Waugh. ‘‘We want the opportunity to give you money for college; that’s what we are here for.”