CRANFORD, NJ – A friendly golf outing has turned into a fundraiser for a local organization. Longtime friends Bill Folinusz, Dave Panetta, Gerry Shamey and Mark Irwin have been friends since high school, but none of them picked up a golf club back then, Panetta told TAPinto. In the years since, they have found a love of the sport and being together.

“We enjoy golfing but have a lot of fun when we are sitting around breaking each other’s chops,” Folinusz added. Story continues below newsletter sign up. Longtime Cranford Buddies Tee Up for a Good Cause | Cranford, NJ News TAPinto A few years ago, they decided to start a golf outing for fun. In the time since, the outing, which is named Cranford Homegrown Open and is an official charitable organization, has grown from the four of them to 36 golfers last fall. That’s when they decided to do something good with the event. The four Cranford High School alums created a committee and started to plan. It was Folinusz who suggested longtime local organization Cranford Family Care. “They do such great work,” said Folinusz, who has helped the organization in the past. Hole sponsorships are available for the event and all the sponsorship money will be donated directly to CFC. Those interested in sponsoring a hole can contact Panetta at (908) 313-5238 or at cranfordhomegrown@gmail.com.