New Jersey Golf Foundation Awards Junior Golfer with Prestigious Peter A. Famiano Memorial Scholarship
Dalton Van Esselstyn (Lebanon) Awarded $2,500 Annual Scholarship
The New Jersey Golf Foundation (NJGF), the charitable arm of the New Jersey Section, PGA of America (NJPGA), announced the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Peter A. Famiano Memorial Scholarship. Junior golfer Dalton Van Esselstyn of Lebanon, NJ, was awarded the scholarship and honored at the 11th Annual New Jersey Golf Foundation Peter A. Famiano Memorial Pro-Am on June 27, 2019, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, N.J.
Peter Famiano was the Head Golf Professional at Crestmont Country Club for over 35 years. In his honor, the NJGF created the Peter A. Famiano Memorial Scholarship, which recognizes worthy New Jersey junior golfers for their professionalism, integrity, volunteerism, and willingness to help others. The $2,500 annual scholarship is open to college students of any class year, provided they continue to meet the standards set forth by the NJGF Scholarship Committee. The Committee reviews all applications using the following criteria: scholarship achievement, qualities of character and leadership, financial need, volunteer history, and future in golf.
Van Esselstyn, a 2019 graduate of North Hunterdon High School, was a standout student-athlete who served as co-captain for the Varsity Golf team during his senior year. In addition to his success on the golf course, Van Esselstyn learned to embrace the importance of giving back from an early age. He was first introduced to the true meaning of volunteerism at the age of 10 when his family served as host for the Fresh Air Fund. Since then, Dalton’s passion for helping others has increased, as he was the co-leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club at North Hunterdon High School, where “serving” is one of the core values.
From packing food to support hunger-relief initiatives to serving at Vacation Bible School at his church, among other philanthropic programs, Dalton has become a strong advocate for volunteerism. In fact, a major impact on Dalton’s life came when he benefited from his teammates’ generous acts of kindness. After struggling to keep his spot in the varsity line up during his sophomore year, two teammates volunteered to help Dalton overcome his struggles and regain his confidence. After countless hours of hard work, and the support of his teammates, Dalton regained his starting position with the team. He attributes being on the receiving end of “volunteer acts,” to motivating him to help others, both on and off the athletic field.
Van Esselstyn will be attending Wheaton College this fall, studying business and economics, and competing on the golf team.
About The New Jersey Golf Foundation
Founded in 2004, the NJGF is the charitable arm of the New Jersey PGA Section. With a focus on 3 core pillars (youth, military, special needs), the NJGF is committed to impacting lives and communities through the game of golf. Led by PGA Professionals, the NJGF hosts a dynamic line-up of programming that provides access for individuals from all backgrounds to experience the game of golf. Signature programs include, Golf In Schools, which is run annually at more than 200 schools, impacting more than 110,000 boys and girls (K-8), PGA Junior League featuring more than 80 teams and 1300 kids under the age of 13 throughout New Jersey, and PGA HOPE, the flagship military program that introduces golf to Veterans with disabilities
For more information
visit www.njgolffoundation.org.
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Ari Edelman (aedelman@mastrocomm.com)
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