Twenty-six years ago, Mary Mulholland had an
idea to raise money to help educate Morris County children about
drugs and alcohol abuse. Of course, in 1968 illegal substances
were commonly called dope, and thus the birth of the golf and
tennis tournament that has become a fixture in the County’s
fund-raising efforts.
In twenty-five years, through corporate and private
sponsors and a mix of federal, state and local matching funds, the Dope
Open has attracted a total of $4.5 million. Beneficiaries include the
Market Street Mission and the Center for Addictive Illness in Morristown,
Daytop House in Mendham, Hope House in Dover, Battered Women of New Jersey
in Morris Plains and the Morris County Crimestoppers and D.A.R.E.
programs.
For the last six years, two prominent area
professionals have chaired the event, and have raised hundreds of
thousands of dollars that have a direct affect on our community.
Charles Black, Vice President of Communications at
G.P.U. Service Corporation in Parsippany, and Nick Saccamano, Director of
Community Relations for Bell Laboratories, will once again co-chair the
1994 version of the 26th Annual Dope Open.
Mulholland, the president and founder of the Dope
Open, said, “They’re the reason the Dope Open is so successful, not only
in raising the funds necessary to continue our work of education,
prevention and rehabilitation, but also because they are absolutely
dedicated to those goals. And their employers have the same commitment.”
Each year, the event adds another touch to maintain
its unique appeal. In 1994, one thousand marathoners will kick of the
festivities with a ten kilometer “Run for the Roses” through Denville on
the Saturday preceeding the golf tournament. On Tuesday, the Dope Open
Golf and Tennis Tournament begins in earnest at the Brooklake Country Club
in Florham Park, and culminates Thursday night with the Dope Open Dinner
for over 450 golfers and tennis raqueteers, and other less athletic
philanthropists.
The event’s success is due in large part to the
efforts of Black and Saccamano, two individuals who are involved with
numerous charitable and professional organizations.
Black, in addition to his 14 years involvement with
the Dope Open and the Morris County United Way, is past president of the
board of directors of the County College of Morris Foundation and is
listed in both Who’s Who in the East and Who’s Who in New Jersey.
He has also been active in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and served as a
Liaison Officer Commander with the Air Force Academy.
Saccamano, more than 20 years with the Open, is
chairman of both the Morris Capital Campaign Committee and the Advisory
Board of the Morris County Fire Fighters and Police Training Academy. He
serves on the executive board of the Two Hundred Club of Morris County and
the board of directors of McRides. He is also a member of the Employees
Legislative Committee of Morris County and is a corporate member of the
Morris County Police Chief’s Association. At the state level, he works
with the New Jersey Shore Alliance, the New Jersey Business Transit
Alliance Advisory Board, the State Chamber of Commerce, and the Employer
Legislative Committee of New Jersey. Adding on his responsibility to other
groups in Union, Monmouth and Ocean Counties, he is active in over 30
civic organizations.
What keeps these two professionals so involved in
this massive undertaking, year after year? Saccamano probably said it
best, “It’s for the children –that they never get involved with drugs or
alcohol.”
Here’s to the next quarter century, and may it be as
successful as the first twenty-five.