In this edition: FOPRG is nominated for Chamber award, Town of Oro Valley Town Council elections update, Rick Messina's parents are given a course tour and receive their GoFundMe check.
Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf Nominated for Chamber Award
In the picture above: left Sasha Case, Board Chair, Tohono Chul, and a FOPRG Friend. Right: Anna Bifano FOPRG V.P.)
On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf (FOPRG) was represented at the Oro Valley Chamber Annual Meeting and Awards Breakfast. The sold-out event at The El Conquistador Hilton was a lively and fun celebration of the 32-year organization serving the Greater Oro Valley and Northern Pima County business community.
Kristen Sharp, Chamber President and CEO, and her team, presented many awards, honored retiring chamber board members, and welcomed the new group of directors. It was exciting to see how many organizations were represented and visualize the growth of the business community and The Chamber since their humble beginnings in a vacant office at The Golder Ranch Fire Department.
FOPRG was nominated in The Outstanding Non-Profit category. Our nomination text read: “Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf have given their energy, time, and resources to help the previously closed Pusch Ridge 9 golf course become a success. The Friends have raked traps, formed leagues, worked with Oro Valley businesses in cross promotion, encouraged play, and tirelessly advocated for the course.”
FOPRG was not selected as one of the top three finalists for this award, we are so proud of this nomination!
We have come a long way from our humble beginnings in 2020. We have grown from a
a small group of passionate people trying to save a beautiful golf course to an organization recognized for bringing the community together through golf, encouraging people to support local businesses with an effective communication and marketing plan, delivering sold-out events at the course, and committed to using our platform to focus on water education and advocacy.
It’s an honor to be a Friend of Pusch Ridge Golf…. On to year four!
A Heads Up
We are starting to work on the details of our October 2024 annual celebration and kick-off event, so stay tuned!
Town of Oro Valley Council Elections Update
The following is from an article by Dave Perry, Tucson Local Media Contributor.
“Oro Valley voters have re-elected one of two town council incumbents, according to unofficial results from the July 30 primary election.
Councilmember Dr. Harry “Mo” Greene II was elected to a second four-year term. He’ll be joined by newcomers Elizabeth Robb and Mary Murphy on the 7-member council.
Incumbent 1-term Councilmember Tim Bohen was defeated Tuesday. He remains on the council through the general election in November.
Within 20 days of the election, Pima County must conduct its official canvass to finalize vote totals. Then, the Oro Valley Town Council holds a meeting to adopt local results. The three elected council members would be seated at the Nov. 6 town council meeting. Robb, Murphy, and Greene would join Mayor Joe Winfield, Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett, and Councilmembers Joyce Jones-Ivey and Josh Nicolson on the council. Councilmember Steve Solomon chose not to seek re-election.”
Read the full article here
We Could Not Have Done This Without YOU!
Thank you to our amazing community of Friends! Your support and generosity have been truly heartwarming.
On Monday, August 12, 2024, Darryl Janisse (G.M. El Conquistador Golf) and Anna Bifano (V.P. FOPRG) were honored to spend the morning with Rick Messina’s parents, John and Marlene Messina.
Darryl and Anna took the Messina’s on a tour of the Pusch Ridge course, visiting every hole and pointing out the work that Rick was so proud of.
They spent time on the number four tee box where Darryl and Anna shared plans for a tranquility garden. The Messina’s absolutely loved the view of Pusch Ridge, and Marlene kept saying – “Ricky loved his job, and now I know why!”
As the group drove by the homes that line Pusch Ridge, the Messina’s kept saying – “now we understand.” Rick talked to his parents about meeting the homeowners as well as the golfers, and he loved the conversations. John asked about the lady Rick saw walking her little dog every morning. Apparently – he appreciated their conversations and told his parents about her and other special encounters.
After the course tour, the group returned to the clubhouse, where John and Marlene picked out Pusch Ridge Golf hats. Marlene said that she would wear hers every day. She also picked up some golf balls in the cart barn and later called to share that she put them in a bowl on Rick’s bureau.
The Messina’s are so appreciative of Darryl and the support they have received from his El Conquistador Golf team and the Troon organization. Rick lived with his parents and helped them with their home. When the GoFundMe check was presented to them (in the amount of $11,718.81), they were emotional and immensely thankful.
They asked us to share the following.
“Our family would like to extend our gratitude for the money that was raised from Rick’s GoFundMe account. We are all overwhelmed with such kindness that you all showed to our son Rick. He loved working at Pusch Ridge and was proud to have known such nice friends and coworkers. Thank you to Darryl and Anna for the meaningful tour of Ricky’s course and the plans for the number 4th tee-box.
With affection, from our family
John and Marlene Messina”
The loss of Rick will be felt by his colleagues, our golfers, and the homeowners around the course for years to come. It's a reminder of the strong bonds we share in our community, which is truly a community of caring and generous people.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the GoFundMe campaign.
The Board and Advisors
Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf
FOPRG's New Water Advocacy Mission
As we move forward, we do not doubt that FOPRG will continue to help increase the demand for play and that El Conquistador Golf will continue to improve the course's operational quality.
However, potable water usage is an 'obstacle' that comes up often.
Golf in the desert will always be considered incongruent to the natural environment. Its benefits will continue to be judged against its costs. Therefore, to help address this obstacle, we have added a new mission to our business plan: to become community water advocates focusing on education and potential conservation solutions.
FOPRG's New Water Advocacy Mission is Two-fold:
First – Inform our readers of water-saving techniques they can use in their homes. Starting with this newsletter, we will share tips, strategies, articles and educational events on how homeowners can help save water. We predict that reducing household water usage could contribute up to a 10% saving offset for the course.
Second – FOPRG will work cohesively with the Town and Indigo by suggesting ways to reduce water usage through possible actions like: reduced turf or turf replacement with more drought-resistant grass, efficient water equipment, new ways to audit water usage, etc.
Household Water Saving Tip:
Use websites and other sources to find inventive ways to help reduce water usage in your own home. Simple actions like the following could save water and reduce your water bill!
Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
Collect the water you use while rinsing fruit and vegetables and use it to water your plants.
Shortening your shower by a minute or two, and you could save up to 150 gallons per month.
Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save up to 4 gallons a minute. That’s up to 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
The above hints and 96 more can be found at https://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve-water/
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