Golf tourney benefits Gilbert students

WINSTED — The Green Woods Country Club hosted the third annual Susan H. Gifford-Deleon Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 22, raising money for an endowment that benefits students at The Gilbert School.

The event has raised over $28,000 since it was founded, according to Julie Phillips, one of the event’s main organizers.

According to Phillips, the money raised at previous events has gone to a fund that seeks to provide funding for curriculum-based or student-generated projects that enable students attending Gilbert to participate in field trips or programs pertaining to the study of earth science, ecology or environmental science.

Susan Gifford-Deleon graduated from The Gilbert School in 1980 and died in 2011.

The event uses the image of a turtle for its symbol, as Gifford was in the process of saving an injured turtle when she passed away in 2011.

Participants teed off for 18 holes at the club, with lunch, dinner and a gift bag included with the cost of admission. For non-golfers, a separate package was available for just dinner and entertainment.

Sponsors of the event included John’s Imports, Lombard Ford, Northwest Community Bank and the W.L. Gilbert Trust.

According to Phillips, members of Gifford-Deleon’s family and organizers plan to continue the tournament for the next 10 years.