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.

By Gary Curreri

Tournament Director Mike Goodrich couldn’t have been happier as a record number of golfers turned out recently for the 5th annual Frankie Foundation Golf Tournament at Palm Aire Country Club.

“We certainly had the biggest field we ever had with 240 golfers and a waiting list,” said Goodrich, 49, of Coral Springs, who said the tournament was staged to raise money and awareness for automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

“We certainly didn’t want to overburden the golf course with slow play, so we kept it at 240 on purpose.”

“You can’t put words on it,” said Goodrich, whose efforts with the foundation have helped raise more than $300,000 in five years.

“Frankie (Speciale) was a very, very special person to everyone and the impact he had on everyone he touched was great. You can see that by the turn-out that we get every year, either with the players, volunteers, sponsors … he was a friend of everybody.”

Goodrich said the scramble/ best ball tournament, on two courses at Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach, raised $70,000 from in-kind donations, tournament fees and the LIVE auction.

More than 30 AED units have been awarded to cities and municipalities in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Goodrich said the Sheridan House and church groups have also been given AEDs.

They also award four $1,000 scholarships annually in Speciale’s name to deserving high school seniors. Speciale 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, president of the Frankie Foundation and 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.

On the Oaks course, Ryan Romero, Jay Guerrieres and Luis Guerrieres won with a 59, while Tom Cooper, Jim Fry, Troy Parra Jr. and Pete Tagget were second with a 60, and won by a match of cards over Doug Chasser, John Dedes, Connor MacBeth, and Ian Shinnick, who took third with a 60.

Dustin Major, Jon Major, Frank Major and Bob Salico shot a 61 to win on the Cypress Course, while Dan Calleja, Shawn Cevra, Howard Nash and Marlon Thompson took second with a 63.

The tournament will be played at Woodlands Country Club next year. Palm Aire, which was purchased by ClubLink last fall, suggested the tournament move to Woodlands because its banquet facility can accommodate the 240 golfers.