Through the Green - Greater Pasadena
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Through the Green
A quarterly newsletter publication of
First Tee - Greater Pasadena
Spring 2021 In this issue...
Participant Spotlight:
Justin Toshima
Pasadena Certified
Farmers’ Market:
A staple in the community
2006 - 2021
First Tee - Greater Pasadena
celebrates 15 years
Board Member Feature:
Bill Stewart
Follow us on social media all year long
2006 - 2021 as we celebrate:
First Tee - Greater Pasadena’s
15th Anniversary
Stories will include:
• Alumni Spotlights
• How First Tee - Greater Pasadena came to be
• Meet your First Tee Coaches
• Community Partners and their impact
• A retrospective for 15 years serving area
youth
• And more
FirstTeeGreaterPasadena
In First Tee - Greater Pasadena news...
Spring Life-Skills Education classes begin on April 5
With the first season of 2021 officially in the books, First Tee - Greater Pasadena
is preparing for the anticipated spring season where long hours of the day
allows for more classes. We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of First
Tee - Greater Pasadena members as well as welcoming back our dedicated
returning members. Brookside Golf Club will again serve as home for all
instruction for the spring season. A special thank you to Brookside and
Rose Bowl Operating Company for the continued support as our host facility.
2021 Pasadena City Championship names First Tee - Greater Pasadena as its benefactor
A collaboration of groups including the Brookside Men’s Club, Rose Bowl
Operating Company, American Golf Corporation and AmateurGolf.com are proud
to present the 2021 rendition of the Pasadena City Championship. The event that
took place on March 26-28 featured more than 180 golfers across multiple flights
hosted at Brookside Golf Clubs two championship golf courses: E.O. Nay and C.W.
Coiner. This year’s champion was Tim Hogarth with a final score of 211 (-3). This
was Hogarth’s 8th career Pasadena City Championship title. All proceeds from
this event will benefit First Tee - Greater Pasadena including all the proceeds
from the 19th hole experience hosted in the world-famous Rose Bowl Stadium.
Sister Chapters Meet Again: First Tee - Korea and First Tee - Greater Pasadena
For the fourth time in its unprecedented relationship, First Tee chapters spanning
more than 6,000 miles met via Zoom. This meeting was driven by a language
lesson where First Tee - Korea members taught First Tee - Greater Pasadena
members how to say the 4 R’s: Replay, Relax, Ready, Redo in Korean! In addition,
each set of students shared how they celebrated the recently passed holidays of
Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day. The relationship, which
is the first of its kind in the First Tee network, embarked in 2019 and blossomed
in 2020. We look forward to our next meeting with our newly made friends.
If any First Tee - Greater Pasadena members are interested in participating
in a future Sister Chapters meeting, please inform your First Tee Coach.
More news on Page 6
2
Rooted in the community
O n the corner of East Villa Street
and Garfield Avenue sits the
longest running farmers’ market
in Los Angeles County. Within the
row of EZ up canopies that line the
corner of Villa Parke Community
Center lies a fresh, rainbow color
collection of the most delectable
produce this region has to offer.
And just beyond the first vendor,
displaying and selling beautiful
plants and flowers sits Gretchen
Sterling, the person who for the
last 40 years has been welcoming
members of her community to the
weekly markets.
In the very community in which
the farmers’ market occupies was
at one point the highest density
population of elementary school
children and second lowest income
in all of Pasadena. For Sterling who
grew up in that very neighborhood
in partnership with the City of Pasadena Recreation and Community Services Department developed a plan to create an
access of healthy food to a neighborhood in need. Sterling opened the doors in June 1980 as only the second farmers’
market in existence in all of Los Angeles County. Four years later, a second farmers’ market opened at Victory Park
which holds upwards of 60 vendors. And just last year, the Pasadena Certified Farmers’ Market celebrated its 40th
anniversary; a true testament of being a pillar in the Pasadena community.
But the successful and incredibly popular farmers’ markets Sterling operates is
not the only way she supports her community. From her farmers’ markets non-profit
success, Sterling has been a long-standing philanthropist in Pasadena. Sterling’s passion
for youth has been exhibited with support to many local youth programs in the Pasadena
community. Whether sponsoring sports uniforms or dance costumes, granting ESL
programs for families, or providing new school shoes to the youth of Villa Parke, Sterling
has made an impact beyond measure.
One program she supports to this day hits very close to home. Since 2010, the
Pasadena Farmers’ Market has financially supported First Tee – Greater Pasadena.
She believes that the youth of the community need positive experiences that develop
responsibility, hard work, dedication within an environment of support.
First Tee – Greater Pasadena delivers a progressive curriculum that focuses on
social and emotional learning objectives through activities that are developmentally
appropriate, designed to meet kids where they are. They exist to enable kids to build the
strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. First Tee
– Greater Pasadena is celebrating its 15th year serving Greater Pasadena youth in 2021.
Positive impact appears in many ways and should be made available to everyone.
An idea that both Sterling and First Tee - Greater Pasadena share in their respective
community programs. Since their beginning, Pasadena Farmers’ market has accepted
CalFresh/EBT as a form of payment made available to lower income residents in
California. Since the entire program went electronic, with permission from the County
Department of Social Services, farmers’ markets businesses are allowed to produce their
own currency. Sterling exchanges an EBT card swipe for script that can be spent on fresh
produce in the market. Thus, developing healthy habits within the community.
From developing and maintaining relationships with growers, to providing a safe
environment for regular patrons and new ones and creating new and innovative ways
to bring the healthiest foods from farm to table, regardless of income, is what Gretchen
Sterling does; embrace her community.
Rain or shine, the Pasadena Farmers’ Market at Victory Park is open Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. located in the
2900 block of North Sierra Madre Boulevard. (In front of Pasadena HS) And the Pasadena Farmers’ Market at Villa Parke
is open Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. located at 363 East Villa Street at the intersection of N.Garfield Ave. and E. Villa
St. (One block north of the 210 Freeway).
3
Member Spotlight: Justin Toshima, Ace Level
South Pasadena High School senior Justin Toshima spent most of Thanksgiving break last
year applying to six schools in California including UC schools in Berkeley, Irvine, San Diego,
and Los Angeles as well as both Cal Poly’s. Nearly one year ago to the day, the 17-year-old also
applied to become one of a small percentage of First Tee students to be selected to play in a
once in a lifetime event.
J
ustin Toshima has been a member of the First Tee – Greater Pasadena since 2014. He moved from level to level rapidly
and became one of the youngest Eagle members at the chapter. For
years, Justin witnessed his fellow First Tee peers work towards
being selected to take part in the Pure Insurance Championship. For many
First Tee students across the U.S., participating in the Pure Insurance
Championship is the pinnacle of First Tee achievements. The nationally
televised PGA Champions Tour stop is a three-day event in golf nirvana,
Pebble Beach, California. Competitive play takes place at Poppy Hills
Golf Course and the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links where First Tee
participants are paired with PGA Champions Tour players. But as the
pandemic quickly took a grip on our communities, the chances of playing
Pebble Beach in 2020 significantly dwindled until it was ultimately
canceled. But Justin’s calm demeanor didn’t waver, in fact, he took the
opportunity to learn about himself.
Justin looked inward to come to terms with what could have been.
The circumstances brought on by the pandemic was when he became
more cognizant that there were outcomes out of his control. A parallel that
golfers know too well; golfers prepare for a shot by checking alignment,
knowing the exact distance, being aware of any wind or slope, mentally
committing to a swing, but once that ball exits the clubface, there is
nothing you can do to control it.
“You have to accept what comes at you. It grows on you and
you have to live with it. It’s going to be a part of history and that you
lived through it. [The pandemic] taught me how unexpected life can be,”
Toshima said.
Currently, Justin is the sole member of the Ace Level at First
Tee - Greater Pasadena, the highest level the program has to offer. The now senior blossomed
in the eyes of his coaches since first joining First Tee more than seven years ago. Beyond the
excellent level of his golf game, he is kind, considerate and confident in his skills as a student
athlete. There was a lot Justin was looking forward
to in 2020 beside a potential trip to coastal California
including making a run at a high school golf conference
championship. His South Pasadena High School golf
team was taking shape and had their eyes on returning
a conference championship for the first time since 2002.
The pandemic helped shape Justin into the
senior he is today. When asked which of the First Tee
Core Values helped you the most during pandemic
he said: “Honesty, because I needed to be honest with myself...do I have time do
this today?” In a completely different take on the value, Justin improved his time
management techniques while at home during the pandemic. With exams, college
applications and keeping his golf game up, Justin recognized a system that worked
for him.
Justin’s maturity and poise have grown tremendously since he began at
First Tee. His characfter and attitude embodies what we love sharing with the
young people of our community. We wish Justin the best of luck in his future and
look forward to his future service as an ambassador to golf and a role model to his
younger cohorts.
As a great show of support to the applicants of the 2020 Pure Insurance
Championship, First Tee headquarters has awarded $1,000 toward their education
thanks to a monumental donation from Ed and Lisa Vaughan. Justin is also eligible
to apply for the 2021 Pure Insurance Championship.
4
Board Member Spotlight: Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart has been playing golf since he was a teenager. One of his attractions to the
game of golf are the embedded core values like integrity and sportsmanship. Initiated by a
television ad about the First Tee, Stewart knew he had to get involved.
S
ince 2015 Bill Stewart has served on the board of directors at First Tee – Greater Pasadena and is passionate about
building the next generation of golfers via access to equipment, golf courses and caring coaches. Upon meeting
Executive Director Bob Baderian, Stewart was motivated to get more involved with hopes to utilize his business
background as Chief Operating Officer of SCNS Sports Foods. Stewart noted how impressed he was of Baderian’s
passion for serving Pasadena area youth. “I toured the
corporate office of First Tee. When they found out I was
on the board where Bob was the ED, I was treated like
royalty. It was very clear to see the high level of respect
“
Bob had earned across the organization,” Stewart said.
I feel integrity should
be the foundation of
how all of us should live,
including young people.
”
In addition to the financial contributions made to the program over the years, Stewart is also closely involved in
supporting his community by volunteering his time for special events. A rewarding experience he shared was during a
visit from the Wounded Warrior Project in 2019. At the event, he met a young man who asked Stewart if he would serve
as his mentor as he completed his college education. Since
they first met, the two have remained close and have met
or spoken to each other every month. The young man is on
track to attend an Ivy League university with a goal to support
veterans upon graduation.
But with all the good that comes with serving on the
board of directors comes its challenges. The pandemic that
struck 2020 had an enormous impact on the First Tee chapter.
Yet Stewart is proud of the financial sacrifices the staff had
to make for the chapter to continue serving its community. A
highlight from 2020 was the very successful golf tournament
that took place during the entire month of October 2020.
In addition to managing expenses, he believes creative
fundraising will help guide First Tee - Greater Pasadena into
2021 and beyond.
Stewart’s passion for this program is demonstrated
with his positive energy and motivation for the community
he serves. “I feel our chapter has done an excellent job
in programming, and to making golf more fun and more
accessible to not only our youth, but also to Wounded Warriors
and Special Olympic athletes,” Stewart said. When asked
which First Tee Core Value his favorite was to live by, he
said: “I feel integrity should be the foundation of how all of us
should live, including young people. Developing unwavering
integrity is something that will help young people successfully
navigate the challenges of life in a way that they can be very
proud of.”
5
In other news...
Tournament League kicked off the year on March 26-27
Tournament League is making ready to embark on its fourth year of youth golf competition. The
program’s mission is to introduce competitive golf play to First Tee - Greater Pasadena youth
while providing opportunity to practice the core values and life-skills introduced by First Tee
coaches and volunteers. The seven-week long team and individual golf competition began with
the pre-season tryout, open to our members 8-17 years of age. If you’re interested in Tournament
League for our next season, visit www.tournamentleaguegp.com for more information.
Filling up all the divots!
On Monday, March 22, members of First Tee - Greater Pasadena, Flintridge Prep
Boys Golf Team joined members of the Brookside Men’s Golf Club to help fill
divots in fairways of Brookside Golf Club in preparation for the 2021 Pasadena
City Championship. The event was a great opportunity for the members of the
program to give back to its community. This year’s Pasadena City Championship
took place on March 26-28 and proceeds benefited First Tee - Greater Pasadena.
First Tee - Greater Pasadena sets date for next Wounded Warrior Project event
On June 19, the Wounded Warrior Project will partake in a family golf event for Warriors and their
families.The partnership began in 2018 when Warriors and their families were invited to Brookside
Golf Club for a day of golf clinics, lunch, laughs and some good ole’ camraderie. If you’re interested in
volunteering for the event, contact Program Coordinator, Dan Hufford at danhufford@hotmail.com
First Tee - Greater Pasadena Eagle Members make splash at SCGA Junior Event
First Tee - Greater Pasadena members took on their respective fields on March 21
at Brookside Golf Club in a SCGA Junior golf event. Eagle members: Precilla Tea,
Ethan Kwan, and Anthony Chung all medaled in their age divisions. Congratulations !
Precilla Tea Ethan Kwan
Anthony Chung
Girls 12-14 Boys 12-14
Boys 8-11
2nd Place 1st Place
3rd Place
Winter Participant Promotions
Participants in our Life-Skills Education program have the opportunity to climb to a new level upon
reaching the requirements of a given level. The Life-Skills Education program consists of five levels of
promotion: Player, Par, Birdie, Eagle, and Ace. Congratulations to our hard working members!
Welcome to the Par Level: Welcome to the Birdie Level: Welcome to the Eagle Level:
Donovan Brown McKinnon Alden Peter Chen
Jae Chung Jaxon Bray Katherine Clark
Jayden Gerona Christian Lee Andrew Oh
Olivia Miranda Teresa Reilly
Victoria Reilly
Julia Reilly
Russel Sze
Wyatt Woods
Jake Zubrin
You can also read
