30th Annual Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic Raises over $150,000 for Molloy’s Scholarship Program

Over 260 golfers filled North Hills and Plandome Country Clubs on Monday, May 2nd, in celebration of Molloy’s 30th annual Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic. Though original weather forecasts were not ideal, our alumni, parents, corporate sponsors, and friends were fortunate to have the rain hold off. After a delicious breakfast buffet, every foursome was able to enjoy a full 18-hole game. “It was great to see everyone in high spirits,” said President Richard Karsten ’81, who visited with foursomes throughout the day. “I saw many golfers who were excited to get their swings in as a result of the favorable weather, and that kept the pace of the game moving quickly. It really turned out to be an exceptional day of golf.”

Prize holes including Hole In One, Hit The Green Double Your Money, Bet $20 & Win, Closest to the Pin, and Longest Drive kept the game interesting, while food and beverages were provided at many holes by courteous volunteers and club staff. A cocktail reception featuring gourmet hors d’oeuvres at North Hills welcomed everyone shortly after golf concluded, allowing everyone to relax and catch up with classmates and colleagues.

Jim Kinnier (pictured), who has given so much of his time and energy to this outing now for 30 years, addressed the crowd as the dinner program began. He thanked everyone for their support, but quickly segued to a remembrance of his late friend, Joe Smith. Jim and Joe, along with the late John Gibbons, began working at Molloy in the 1960’s. They all quickly became friends and remained so for over 40 years. They also founded the Stanner Golf Classic together and helped make it the event it is today. Though saddened by Joe’s passing, Jim was upbeat in his remembrance of a man who he said would “give you the shirt off his back if he could.” Jim’s touching remarks were a fitting tribute to a man who loved Molloy, loved his students, and fully supported the Stanner Golf Classic’s mission to support our school’s scholarship program. He and John Gibbons are sorely missed.

More poignant remarks were provided by this year’s Chairman, Joe Papavero ’04. The youngest alum to ever act as Chair, Joe worked extremely hard in this important role. As a leader in his family business, Papavero Funeral Home in Maspeth, Joe engaged many local businesses and fellow alumni to promote the outing. In doing so he shared stories about his alma mater, and why supporting scholarships is so important. “Molloy is like a great family business of education. They care about the whole person. They nurture the academic, social, spiritual, and mental development of everyone that comes through their doors,” he remarked. “I was raised not only to care for every family that walks through the doors of our family business, but I was also raised to be an active, contributing member in our community. My grandfather once said ‘your business is only as strong as the community around it,’ and ‘if you are there for your community, they will be there for you.’ Molloy, to me, shares these same ideals. They help to shape us into contributing members of the community. That is why we are here today. This event helps give many students the opportunity to attend this great institution. The scholarships you are supporting help students in need to become a part of this wonderful community for the rest of their lives.” Thank you, Joe. We couldn’t have said it any better. (Joe Papavero pictured with President Karsten)

As the evening continued, silent and live auctions offered many outstanding prize opportunities. Auction prizes included sports memorabilia and ticket packages, vacation getaways, Broadway shows, and even dinner prepared by President Richard Karsten. The top performers from the morning’s games were also announced and awarded with prizes of their own including custom decanters. The winning raffle tickets were also drawn and are as follows: 1st Prize: Ticket #94761 | 2nd Prize: Ticket #77045 | 3rd Prize: Ticket #64177.

We extend our thanks and congratulations to Alumni Development Officer Matt Rizzotti ’04, Chairman Joe Papavero ’04, Jim Kinnier, and the Stanner Golf Classic Board for their hard work in planning this year’s outing. We would also like to thank all of the volunteers who so positively impacted this year’s event. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.

Today we are excited to announce that the 30th Annual Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic has raised over an estimated $150,000. Your generosity will directly impact the lives of students in need, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a Stanner education. Their potential as the leaders of tomorrow is limitless, and it is thanks to your kindness that our faculty can nurture that potential. Thank you from all of us at Archbishop Molloy High School. “What will never change is Molloy’s commitment to teaching young people, and building character, thereby allowing them to create a greater sense of themselves, a deeper faith, and a strong sense of family,” President Karsten said in his remarks to the crowd. He continued, “Over the past 30 years, this outing has raised over $2 million in support of scholarships at Molloy. As the economy struggles, so do the families in Queens and the New York City area. Our parents are among those facing hardships. The need for scholarship support will continue to grow and will always be at the heart of our fundraising efforts. With your help, we will continue to meet realities and create possibilities.”

Around the School

Campus Ministry Organizes Fourvière Prayer Service

As the Marist Brothers near the conclusion of their Fourvière Year celebration, all Marist schools were called to join together in prayer in the spirit of Fourvière. It is at the shrine of Fourvière in Lyon, France, where the Marist Brothers made their pledge to Mary and the mission of St. Marcellin Champagnat. Over time, their “Society of Mary” evolved into a tree with many branches including Brothers, other clergy, and lay people. Fourvière Year, which began in summer 2015, has been a celebration of that original pledge as well as of the members of the Marist community who serve those in need.

During Molloy’s prayer service, faculty and students took turns at the podium recognizing Stanners who serve our community. From peer tutors, to Esopus counselors, to Briarwood Shelter volunteers, to the St. Marcellin Champagnat Society’s service trips abroad, each student volunteer was asked to stand and receive thanks (pictured right). Senior Stephen Velez recalled stories from his experiences at Esopus adult camp and on the SMCS service trip in Jamaica. He learned that just one simple act of kindness can make someone’s day. “I played with one of the kids in Jamaica for 2 hours and then he fell asleep in my arms,” Stephen recalled. “When his mother came to pick him up, the look of gratitude on her face and the number of times she thanked me is something that I will never forget.”

Br. Patrick McNamara, the Marist Provincial for the US Province, then addressed Molloy and the Marist community at large via a special video presentation, which is available for you to view below.

It became clear by the end of the prayer service that no good deed is too small, and in fact every opportunity to provide service to others is an opportunity to change a life. The Marist Brothers begin the Year of La Valla, and their 200th anniversary, this July.

The Stanner Earns Six Awards at Tablet H.S. Press Event

Read The Tablet’s coverage of their 2016 High School Press Awards

Molloy proudly congratulates The Stanner on being honored at this year’s Tablet High School Press Awards. Molloy was featured among eight other Catholic schools at the ceremony, which took place on May 6th at the Diocesan Chancery in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Stanner was humbled to accept the following awards (click to enlarge):

Molloy Celebrates Student Research at Science Symposium

The Class of 2016 recently showcased their own scientific research at Molloy’s annual Science Symposium. Seniors presented diverse topics including Music and Memory by Dylan Haynes and Brendan Woods, To Trust or Not to Trust: How Hair Affects Perception by Samantha Racan and Julia Rakaj, Teenagers and Impressionability by Daniel Jimenez and Laksumi Sivanandan, Test Instruction Formats and Their  Effects on Students by Julia Djurasevic and Kelly Huang, and more. Special recognition was also given to participants of the NYC Science and Engineering Fair. 16 seniors in all were recognized: Yves Chen, Julia Djurasevic, Jordan Fierek, Kelly Huang, Daniel Jimenez, Caroline Kelly, Peter Maisano, Rose Maisano, Isabella Mercado, Samantha Racan, Julia Rukaj, Ralph Scarpitti, Eleni Sgantzos, Laksumi Sivanandan, Shibangi Saha, and Harmanveer Singh.

The NYCSEF is the largest high school research competition in NYC and is sponsored by the Department of Education and CUNY. Each year, hundreds of students participate representing all five boroughs. Awards range from scholarships to paid trips to seminars and other scientific events across the country.

JV Softball Visits Boston Following B/Q Regular Season Title

At 11-0 in season and 25-7 overall, Molloy’s JV softball team is this year’s regular season Brooklyn/Queens Champion. As has been tradition for several years, Coach Lou Santos accompanied the champs on a trip to Boston, Massachusetts. “Our trip was wonderful. We enjoyed a Duck Tour, a batting practice tour at Fenway Park, and we met former Met and Yankee Chris Young, who signed autographs and took pictures with our players,” said Coach Santos. The team hung out at Fenway that night to watch Houston defeat Boston in a regular season matchup. The following day, Molloy played against Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA. Central Catholic is a fellow Marist school. “We had a great time playing against them,” said Santos. After the trip, Coach Santos applauded the parents who made traveled with the team. “Every player’s family attended. What a great showing of support and cooperation.” (Photo courtesy Lou Santos)

Upcoming Events

St. Ann’s Communion Breakfast – Next Weekend!

• When: Sunday, June 5th, 2016 | 10:00am
• Where: Archbishop Molloy High School
• Who: St. Ann’s Alumni + Guest
• Admission: Complimentary
• RSVP to Mrs. Merl Doyle at mdoyle@molloyhs.org

There’s just one week left to RSVP! We extend an invitation to our St. Ann’s Alumni to attend the St. Ann’s Communion Breakfast on Sunday, June 5th here at Molloy. Those planning to attend are encouraged to arrive at Molloy at 10:00am. Mass will begin at 10:30am in our first floor chapel. A buffet breakfast will be served following Mass. In gratitude for your leadership, admission to this year’s St. Ann’s Communion Breakfast is complimentary of President Karsten ‘81 and the Stanner Alumni Center. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Mrs. Merl Doyle at (718) 441-9210 or mdoyle@molloyhs.org.

Ashley Regazzi ’04, a Clinical Research Supervisor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, was among the team whose work was featured in an article in the New York Times Magazine Health Issue. The article, by Gareth Cook, focuses on exceptional responder genotyping and explores why certain drug treatments can fail some cancer patients, but provide good results for others. You can read the full article online: Learning From The Lazarus Effect | Additionally, and quite extraordinarily, a study conducted by Ashley’s team made breaking news last week as their many years of research has resulted in the first FDA approval of a new bladder cancer drug in several decades. Read more about this important medical breakthrough here: FDA Approves Game Changer Immunotherapy Drug

The Stanner Alumni Center is excited to share that Christopher Damiani ’92 is an Emmy award winner! Chris is a Producer on the team at ESPN that covered the College Football Playoff National Championship “Megacast” earlier this year. His team was honored with the Emmy for “Outstanding Trans-Media Sports Coverage. Trans-Media refers to broadcasting across multiple platforms/formats, meaning coverage could be viewed beyond just your television. The awards were held on May 10th at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall and featured many of the biggest names in sports and broadcasting including Scott Van Pelt (ESPN), Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds (MLB Network), Kevin Burkhardt (FOX Sports), Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal (Turner Broadcasting), and many more. Congratulations to Chris and his team on this impressive honor!

In a follow up to an alumni update we published several weeks ago, Brittany Dombrowski ’09 hosted a few special visitors during her current residency in India. Her brother Dylan Dombrowski ’07 and father, track coach and teacher Joe Dombrowski, made the long journey across the globe to see her over spring break. “No, I never thought I’d end up in India, but I thought why not,” said Joe when asked about the trip. He was very excited to see Brittany and proud to support her in her new surroundings. Dylan and Joe provided some guest commentary on Brittany’s blog, which documents her experiences in India. You can read their blog post and other posts and commentary HERE.

Bill Woesthoff ’68 would like to share his personal experience with fellow alumni or family and friends of alumni who may be battling multiple sclerosis (MS). Bill, diagnosed with MS 19 years ago, has found his own ways to deal with the disease, but has advice to impart for those willing to listen. “Each person is unique, but offering help to others is one of the things Molloy taught me,” said Bill. “Thanks to my wellness plan, I managed to complete six marathons after I was diagnosed, which makes 10 total. Not bad for a guy that never ran track!” Bill says giving back remains very important. “It’s the least I can do given the circumstances.” If you would like to contact Bill, please email alumni@molloyhs.org.