Agenda Departments

Agenda

ACCGS Golf Tournament
July 13: The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick will be the setting for the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield’s (ACCGS) 2015 Golf Tournament. The tournament is sponsored by Bacon Wilson, P.C., Barr & Barr Inc., Florence Savings Bank, Frank Webb’s Bath Center, HealthSouth, Insurance Center of New England, and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. The tournament will kick off with registration and practice on one of its six target greens, two pitching greens, and pitching nets at 11 a.m. A course-side lunch, sponsored by the MassMutual Center, will be served from 11 a.m. until noon, with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Golfers will enjoy a scramble format, hole-in-one contests sponsored by Rocky’s Ace Hardware and Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, longest-drive and closest-to-the-line competitions, a putting contest sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank, and an opportunity to win from a wide selection of raffle prizes, including Red Sox tickets and gift cards. The day will conclude with a reception, buffet dinner, and awards ceremony. An added attraction this year will be the opportunity to win the use of a fully-stocked golf cart for the tournament, completed with snacks, cigars, additional raffle tickets, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and more. The tournament entry fee is $600 per foursome (individual golfers are welcome at $150) and includes greens fees, cart, lunch, reception, and souvenir photo sponsored by Arrow Security Co. Inc. and Eastfield Mall. Non-golfers may attend the reception only for $30 per person. To register, visit www.myonlinechamber.com or e-mail ACCGS Member Services Director Sarah Mazzaferro at [email protected].

Indian Motocycle Day
July 26: From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Springfield Museums will present their sixth annual Indian Motocycle Day, the continuation of a long-standing tradition honoring the classic motorcycles that were manufactured in the city from 1901 to 1953. Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the event, which featured more than 60 classic, Springfield-built Indians owned by local collectors, The event is sponsored by the Sampson Family and AAA Pioneer Valley; the media sponsor is Rock 102 WAQY. MassMutual is the 2015 premier sponsor of the Springfield Museums. The museums re-established the Indian Day tradition in 2010 after a five-year hiatus. From 1970 to 2005, the event was held at the now-closed Indian Motocycle Museum on Hendee Street in Springfield. Esta Manthos, together with her late husband Charlie, were the owners of the former museum. In 2007, Manthos donated her extensive collection of Indian Motocycles, artifacts, and memorabilia to the Springfield Museums, where it is now on view in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. This year’s Indian Day will pay tribute to Bob’s Indian of Etters, Pa., for its many years of supporting the heritage of classic Indian cycles. The original dealership was founded in the 1950s by Bob and Kay Markey, and has been a treasure trove of motorcycle history for over half a century. In addition to the motorcycles on display, there will be a variety of vendors, food and beverages, music provided by Rock 102, and the awarding of trophies for the best Indians in a variety of categories. Commemorative T-shirts will be available for purchase. Anyone bringing a pre-1953 Indian will receive a free admission pass plus a commemorative Indian Day button. Exhibitors, and especially vendors, are encouraged to pre-register by calling (413) 263-6800, ext. 304. Admission to the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-17. For those wishing to attend the event and tour museum buildings, general admission is $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, and $9.50 for children ages 3-17. Admission to the event and the museums is free for members of Springfield Museums; free museum admission is available for Springfield residents after 3 p.m. For information, call (413) 263-6800, ext. 304, or visit www.springfieldmuseums.org.

Driving for the Cure Golf Tournament
Aug. 17: The seventh annual Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament will tee off at Crestview Country Club in Agawam. The presenting sponsor for this year’s tournament is Autotrader. The tournament will be a four-player scramble. Tournament-day check-in begins at 10:30 a.m., and tee time is at 12:30 p.m. The event includes lunch, golf, dinner, raffle prizes, contests, and more. The tournament was started by Carla and Tommy Cosenzi, owners of TommyCar Auto Group, in memory of their father, Tom Cosenzi, who passed away from a glioblastoma brain tumor in 2009, in the hopes of carrying on his legacy and finding a cure for this disease. To date, this tournament has raised a total of $480,000 in its six-year partnership with the Jimmy Fund, one of the largest organized golf programs in the U.S. All proceeds support Dr. Patrick Wen and his team of researchers in the Neuro-Oncology Department at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. To register an individual or team, or to become a tournament sponsor, visit www.tomcosenzidrivingforthecure.com. For more information, contact Kayla Currie at (413) 570-1319 or [email protected].

Valley Fest
Aug. 29: White Lion Brewing Co. announced that it will host its inaugural beer festival, called Valley Fest, at Court Square in downtown Springfield. MGM Springfield will be the presenting sponsor. The festival is poised to be White Lion’s signature annual event, introducing the young brand to craft-beer enthusiasts throughout New England and beyond. White Lion Brewing Co., the city of Springfield’s only brewery, launched in October 2014. Founder Ray Berry and brewmaster Mike Yates have released three selections under the White Lion brand and have been busy promoting their efforts in venues all over Massachusetts and other New England states. Berry anticipates that more than 50 breweries and many local food vendors will converge on Court Square for two sessions. Enthusiasts will have an opportunity to sample more than 100 varieties of beer and hard cider alongside pairing selections by local chefs. A number of sponsors have already committed to the event, including MassMutual Financial Group, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, the Dennis Group, Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place, Paragus Strategic IT, Williams Distributing, and the Springfield Business Improvement District (BID). Visit www.valleybrewfest.com for event details, ongoing updates, and sponsorship opportunities. A portion of Valley Fest proceeds will support several local charities.

Western Mass. Business Expo
Nov. 4: 
Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News in partnership with Go Graphix and Rider Productions. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Details about tevents, programs, and featured speakers will be printed in future issues of BusinessWest. Sponsors include MGM Springfield, presidential and Expo Social sponsor; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; Johnson & Hill and Health New England, director level sponsors; and 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $750. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.