Charity golf tourney continues to grow

For the News Chief

WINTER HAVEN -JA snowball effect has taken hold of The 100, a 100-hole charity golf marathon planned for today at Lake Region Country Club.
Where there was once a single team of four golfers -who last year raised $30,000 - there are now six teams seeking to raise money on behalf of Winter Haven Hospital's nationally accredited stroke center.

The inaugural team of four Winter Haven residents - Pete Cassidy, Dwain Hughes, Joe Jensen and Randy Clark - will be joined by teams from Condev Homes in Winter Park, State Farm Insurance, Bright House Networks, Center State Bank and Mary W. Myers Realty in Auburndale.

The Condev Homes team has already raised more than $30,000, said Cassidy, organizer of The 100 and a member of the Cassidy Homes organization, a Winter Haven-based real estate development and home-building company.

"We have definitely generated some buzz and excitement, especially in the business community, about how much impact a relatively small group of people can have," Cassidy said. "I'm very proud of our compatriots from Condev Homes and others who have stepped up to join this very worthy cause."

Don Ingram, chairman of the Mid-Florida Medical Services Foundation, thanked Cassidy and all of the organizations who have stepped forward in support of Polk County's only certified stroke center.

"It's a thrill to see this grass-roots support springing up in support of our not-for-profit healthcare mission," Ingram said. "We are exceedingly grateful to the Cassidy family."

Lance Anastasio, president and CEO of Winter Haven Hospital, said, "The growth of this event is a phenomenon to behold. I think we're on to the beginning of something big for this community. On behalf of the hospital's professional staff, I can say that we are all very thankful to the Cassidy Homes organization and to each participating group."

Chris Gardner, vice president of Condev Homes, whose family-owned company was founded in the 1960s, said his company has had a long association with Cassidy and Cassidy Homes.

"There are a lot of similarities between the Cassidy organization and our company. We're both family-owned companies in the same business and we share the same philosophy about being of service to the community," Gardner said. "Pete told us about this opportunity and we decided to jump in with both feet. We have supported health care initiatives in other communities where we work and this was a natural choice for us."

Condev Homes recently entered the Polk County market with a new community east of Winter Haven called Hampton Cove.