By Gary Curreri

Rain failed to dampen the spirits of a sellout crowd of 244 golfers and netted an estimated $25,000 for the 7th annual Frankie Foundation golf tournament recently at the Woodlands Country Club in Tamarac.

The event, which withstood a 40-minute rain delay, raises money and awareness for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and honors Frankie Speciale, who died of a massive heart attack while playing in a recreational men’s soccer league match in Deerfield Beach in 2007.

Even though the 1982 graduate of Pompano Beach High School was given CPR immediately, his life could not be saved. It is believed an automated external defibrillator might have made the difference in him surviving.

Frankie Foundation President Scott Henratty, 42, of Lighthouse Point, said the popular tournament has grown over the years. The first tournament at Colony West drew a capacity crowd of 144 golfers. It then moved to Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano before ClubLink, owners of both Palm Aire and Woodlands, suggested the tournament move to Woodlands because its banquet facility can accommodate the 244 golfers.

“We maxed out,” said Henratty, who gave out five AEDs and four $1,000 scholarships at the tournament. To date, they have given out 25 scholarships and 48 AED units. “We have been sold out for a while. We sell out every year. We believe we put on a quality tournament. The main sponsor is One Beat CPR.”

Henratty also said he can’t understand why there isn’t a statewide law requiring AED in public places.

“The idea is, ‘why isn’t that a state-wide law?’” Henratty said. “The frustration is that we can give 5 or 6 AEDs away, and they save lives, but why aren’t they everywhere? If you are in an airport, or a governmental building, you are okay, but if you don’t have one someplace else, you could be in trouble. We are going to draft a bill that basically requires an establishment opening to the public an AED on the premises; that costs less than $1,000 as a safety feature.”

“Long ago, they didn’t require fi re extinguishers; now they do,” Henratty added. “Things have progressed where they know they save lives and they should be everywhere. An AED is like a fi re extinguisher or anything else. It is a proven fact that they save lives and they are in most buildings and most airplanes; but they are not in private facilities.”

Coconut Creek’s Jason Cheshire, 42, is a treasurer with Frankie Foundation. He said they are set up with the schools and they know their criteria.

“It can go to any athlete and it is a $1,000 scholarship,” Cheshire said. “We have a committee that will review them and we chose our winner from that. Anybody can apply and we look for the person who needs them … the one who needs help.”

By Gary Curreri

Friends of Frankie keep turning out year after year.

The sixth annual Frankie Foundation Golf Tournament at Woodlands Country Club in Tamarac recently pulled in $75,000. In addition to the money raised, it also raised awareness for automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The location may have moved during the six years of the annual Frankie Foundation Golf Tournament; however, one thing hasn’t changed – people still care. A record number of 242 golfers recently turned out for the tourney, whose proceeds go toward the purchase of AEDs and scholarships to local high school students.

“It was the most players ever by 12 and we had a waiting list of 30,” said Frankie Foundation Vice President Mike Goodrich, of Coral Springs. “The course is different and the banquet facility is different. We are excited about that because we were able to dress up the banquet facility and be able to accommodate all of us now, so the synergy we were able to generate there would continue what is coming off the course into there.”

Tammy Good, Shane Munson, Tracey Adcock and Dave Anderson carded a 59 to top all golfers on the east course, while Doug Kingera, Eric Depp, Hernan Millan, Hilarion Millan shot a 61 to win on the west course.

The tournament once again honored Frankie Speciale, who died of a massive heart attack while playing in a recreational men’s soccer league match in Deerfield Beach in 2007. Even though the 1982 graduate of Pompano Beach High School was given CPR immediately, his life could not be saved. It is believed an automated external defibrillator might have made the difference in him surviving.

Goodrich, who was a classmate of Speciale’s, said the tournament has grown over the years. The first tournament at Colony West drew a capacity crowd of 144 golfers. It then moved to Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano before ClubLink owners of both Palm Aire and Woodlands suggested the tournament move to Woodlands because its banquet facility can accommodate the 242 golfers.

“We’ve raised more than a half million dollars in six years,” Goodrich said. “We have given out more than 40 AEDs to cities, churches, charities, Kids in Distress, Sheridan House and other foundations.”

Goodrich said the Frankie Foundation still has the same sponsors and vendors since it started including One Step CPR, the presenting title sponsor. Goodrich said the scramble/best ball tournament is run totally by volunteers and all of the proceeds go toward the scholarships and AEDs.

Lon Rosen, of One Step CPR, hopes to generate awareness and teach people the importance of having a defibrillator at golf courses and different athletic events.

“People don’t even know what a defibrillator is,” Rosen said. “We are just scratching the surface. We want to send a message through the Frankie Foundation of what an AED [is].”

Rosen noted that Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 325,000 deaths each year, and that it claims a life every two minutes.