ELLICOTVILLE, NY — For 55 years, the Italian-American Charity Golf Association has united golfers of the Southern Tier to play a few rounds for a good cause: Raising money for the American Cancer Society.
For their latest outing on the links, the tournament is taking place at Holiday Valley Ski Resort in Ellicottville.
"At the end of the day, the foundation of what we try to do is to give back and really bring people together on a yearly basis," Event Chair David Munella said.
Munella's father, Jack Munella, was one of the association's founding members in 1971.
"13 individuals got together and decided that they want to introduce individuals from the non-Italian heritage into our heritage and culture," Munella said of the association's origins. "You were to go out, find a playing partner of non-Italian heritage. And the event started off as a two-day event, but they also wanted to use it as a way to give back to the community. They chose the American Cancer Society as the give back, and it has grown from there."
According to Munella, over the more than 50 years of hosting the tournament, the group has raised nearly $2 million. Currently, this year's event has raised over $70,000 so far.
"At the end of the day, as we've utilized the goal of 'stamp out cancer' in our lifetime and be able to help with that mission is what it's all about," Munella said. "The idea that we can spend 4 days together with people that we might only see once a year, to branch out and make more people aware of what's going on."
WATCH: Italian-American Charity Golf Tournament returns to Southern Tier to raise money for cancer research
Speaking with returning golfers, they echoed that the cause and camaraderie are what bring them back each year.
"I grew up in Jamestown, so this tournament's been around since I was a little kid, and I just always wanted to be in it," Michael Martinelli said.
"The camaraderie with everybody, enjoying it, doing heritage, understanding Italian and American, and how it bonds together, and it's really nice to come out," Luciandi Napoli said. "I started when I was 16 years old. I volunteered for about 7 years and have been playing ever since."
Napoli added, "The reason we play in the tournament is to give back to the local charity, and to help cancer in our area, and then just to be with all of our friends and enjoy ourselves for a weekend and get away."
The tournament will continue at Holiday Valley Ski Resort throughout the day Friday and Saturday.
