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09/12/2018 08:30 AMWhen the late Bill Rosa founded an annual golf tourney to benefit the Guilford Community Fund (GCF), it was just one more way he felt he could give back to a community that had supported his family and his business, the Guilford Food Center. The Rosa family ran the store, which was Guilford’s iconic downtown grocer, for 46 years, from 1969 to 2015.
On Tuesday, Sept. 25, Bill’s son, Ron Rosa, together with other members of the Rosa family, mark the continuation of Bill’s tradition of giving back to the community with the 25th annual Bill Rosa Memorial Golf Tourney to benefit GCF. The tournament was named in honor of Bill Rosa following his passing in 2009.
During his years as a Guilford business owner and resident, Bill Rosa supported numerous local charities and organizations. In addition to founding the golf tourney, just of few of his exceptional contributions included becoming founder and president of the Guilford High School Hockey Club, assisting Guilford Rotary and Guilford boy scouts, and serving as president of GCF.
“My father always taught all of us to give back to the community and get involved,” says Ron.
When GCF was first founded in the early 1950s, more than 125 volunteers went knocking on neighbors’ doors, raising nearly $20,000 to provide for 16 local charitable organizations. To this day, GCF remains an all-volunteer organization, now serving 22 non-profit service agencies. The door knocking has turned into an annual appeal, which is supported by materials including a town-wide mailing. In 2017, the appeal raised more than $135,000 to help support non-profit organizations serving Guilford residents in need.
As GCF president, one of Bill Rosa’s goals was to help GCF develop a steady income that would assist with GCF’s material costs, so that 100 percent of donations received would always continue to go back to charitable causes, says Ron.
“When my dad was president, he thought it would be a great idea to get the community together for a golf tournament and raise that money to cover all of the costs to run the community fund,” says Ron. “My dad ran the tourney, and the whole family helped out, so I’ve been involved since day one.”
After the first few years, Ron took on co-chairing the tourney and has remained at the post for the past 22 years. Ron also joined the GCF board and notes the tourney, together with GCF’s more-recently established annual Valentine’s Day Dance fundraiser, continues to provide needed funds to offset GCF’s operating expenses such as the annual appeal.
The Tourney
There’s still time to register to play, join in as a sponsor, give a raffle prize, or sign up to volunteer for the 2018 Bill Rosa Memorial Golf Tournament, Ron notes.
“We’re always looking for more help, more sponsors, and more golfers,” he says.
Advance registration is online at www.guilfordcommunityfund.org and the tourney also offers day-of registration (9 a.m.) ahead of the 11 a.m. shotgun start. The Bill Rosa Memorial Golf Tournament takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the Madison Country Club. It features 18 holes of golf with cart, soda and beer on the course, pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers at the turn, a commemorative shirt, prizes for the top three foursomes, awards for long drive and closest to the pin, and a $10,000 Hole-in-One cash prize. The day also features great raffle prizes, a 50/50 raffle and dinner following golf.
Staying Involved
Like his dad, Ron likes being involved in his community—and staying busy. In 2015, after the Rosa family sold the Guilford Food Center to the new owners of The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center, Ron stayed on to direct operations in the meat and delicatessen departments (his brother Ray also continues to assist with management).
“I still enjoy all the customers and I enjoy the business, and I enjoy being on the Guilford Green and still being a part of the community,” Ron says.
Ron also thanks The Marketplace’s owners for their continued support of the golf tourney. Both the Rosa family and The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center are 2018 Platinum Sponsors of the tournament.
“One of the things I said to the new ownership was I would really like to continue to run this golf tournament, and they were right behind it,” he says.
He’s also grateful to the tourney’s Gold Sponsor, Kinnare Insurance, as well as for the hands-on efforts of the GCF board members supporting the tourney with the Rosa family.
Ron’s brother, Ray, still does all the grilling for the event and many family members contribute their time and effort as they continue to assist with the event, as well.
“It’s dear to my heart and my family’s heart that we continue the tournament as a way to help the community fund,” says Ron. “The community was always there for us and for our family, and always supported us, and it felt good to give back to the community. So our father got us going with that, and we try to continue to stay involved.”