Pitching and putting has some extra punch in East Hartford this Saturday.
That’s where a group of friends are gearing up for an off-beat golf tournament with a mainstream message: to fight homelessness.
Every year, Roger Wierbicki turns his backyard into a golf hole, and the aim is to raise money and gather clothing for the Immaculate Conception Shelter Housing Corporation in Hartford.
Wierbicki has built everything from tee boxes to sand traps, and the “Big Kitty” Golf Tournament continues to chip in for charity.
The group of golfers collects bags and bags of donated clothes for their cause.
Wierbicki said, “a lot of people put homelessness on the back burner in the summertime, and this is just one way to let people know it’s still out there.”
Swinging a pitching wedge and aiming for the perfectly manicured hole 30 yards away, competitor Andy Drexel said,” it’s absolutely ridiculous but it’s a blast!”
Complete with a trophy and green jacket for the winner, the one-day tournament is now in its tenth year.
To find out more about the charity, the Immaculate Conception Shelter in Hartford, click www.icshc.org