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PORTSMOUTH — It started out as a small, intimate golf fund-raiser with 32 players at a now-defunct nine-hole course to help a recent widow with three school-aged children navigate devastating personal and financial hardships.
Now, 14 years later, that fund-raiser, which began at Bramber Valley Golf Course in Greenland, has grown, in collaboration with Portsmouth Football, to a one-day, two-tournament, which will feature more than 350 players on Friday, May 16 at Pease Golf Course, a 27-hole course in Portsmouth.
Mark Beaulier, a 1985 graduate of Portsmouth High School, succumbed to cancer in 2011 at the age of 43. Jeff Goss, and other high school friends of Beaulier, started a golf tournament that year to help Mark’s widow, Amy, and her three children, Seth, Abbigale and Ethan.
The tournament grew each year, and it eventually teamed up with Portsmouth Football. Proceeds from the tournament raise money not only for college scholarships in Beaulier’s name, but also for the youth and football programs in Portsmouth, where Mark once played and later coached.
“This (tournament) has been wonderful over the years,” said Amy Beaulier, the daughter of former Portsmouth High School head football coach Tom Daubney, who coached Mark. “A gentleman once told me, ‘We die twice in this lifetime; the first time when you leave this Earth; and the second time when people stop talking about you.’ I didn’t want that to happen with Mark. We talk about him all the time; you want to remember people, and this has been a blessing.”
Six scholarships were given to Portsmouth High School football players from last year's tournament. Portsmouth High School head football coach Brian Pafford said more than $40,000 in college scholarships have been awarded in Beaulier's name over the years, with additional funds going to Portsmouth football programs.
“That's amazing,” Amy said. “I think it’s wonderful. Our family looks forward to this tournament every year. It’s an amazing day.”
Pafford, also a member of Portsmouth's Class of 1985, was a football teammate of Beaulier's, and a lifelong friend.
"He was just a positive guy in all aspects of life, whether it be on the football field or as a friend," Pafford said. "He was just a good all-around person. He exemplified what (Coach Daubney) tried to instill into us when we were playing for him. Coach (Daubney) always told us doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing, and Mark was always doing the right thing. He was just a good, no great, all-around person."
Amy and Mark met in third grade, were high school sweethearts, and were married for 21 years. Amy, who said her 21 years of marriage to Mark was 'not long enough," called him a “very special human being.”
“Mark had an infectious personality, and a great sense of humor,” Amy said. “Fourteen years and this tournament keeps getting bigger and bigger, and it’s all because of who Mark was. Portsmouth is just a wonderful town, and it shows every year in this tournament.”
Last year's tournament, which raised approximately $40,000, had a waiting list, prompting Goss and others to expand the format with an afternoon session to raise even more money.
“(Beaulier) wasn’t a guy who would expect (the success of this tournament with his name), but I think he would be proud,” Goss said.
There will be a tournament get-together on Thursday, May 15 at the Clipper Tavern in Portsmouth at 6:30 p.m.
Proceeds from Thursday's get-together event will be donated to the GoFundMe page for Shon Parham. Parham, a 2017 graduate of Portsmouth High School, was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Player registration at Pease will begin Friday at 6 a.m. with a shotgun start of 7:30 a.m. for the morning session. Lunch, raffles and the silent auction will begin at 12:30 p.m.
For the afternoon session, which still has limited foursomes available, player registration will begin on Friday at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start of 2:30 p.m. Dinner, raffles and the silent auction will begin at 7:30 p.m.
“Mark would be very humbled (by the tournament success)," Amy Beaulier said.
To register a foursome, or get more information on potential sponsorships, or to donate raffle or silent auction items, visit the 10th annual Portsmouth Football Golf Tournament website.
Goss hopes this year’s tournament, with the historic number of golfers, raises at least $50,000. He estimates the previous years have raised close to a total of $400,000.
“This tournament has really become a great thing, it’s one of my favorite events of the year,” Goss said. “It gives me a chance to honor one of my best friends, and to make sure he's never forgotten.”
Goss said last year’s tournament, with just over 200 players, raised right around $40,000. With each tournament, after scholarships are given out, remaining proceeds are split between the Portsmouth High School football program, and the Portsmouth youth football program.
John Lachapelle coached youth football with Mark for one year.
“Mark was just a really fun, great guy,” Lachapelle said. “I think he would be humbled (about this tournament).”
Proceeds from Thursday's get-together before the tournament will be donated to the Go Fund Me page for Shon Parham. Parham, a 2017 graduate of Portsmouth High School. Parnham was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphona.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mark Beaulier's legacy lives on with Portsmouth golf tourney
Continue reading...
Now, 14 years later, that fund-raiser, which began at Bramber Valley Golf Course in Greenland, has grown, in collaboration with Portsmouth Football, to a one-day, two-tournament, which will feature more than 350 players on Friday, May 16 at Pease Golf Course, a 27-hole course in Portsmouth.
Mark Beaulier, a 1985 graduate of Portsmouth High School, succumbed to cancer in 2011 at the age of 43. Jeff Goss, and other high school friends of Beaulier, started a golf tournament that year to help Mark’s widow, Amy, and her three children, Seth, Abbigale and Ethan.
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The tournament grew each year, and it eventually teamed up with Portsmouth Football. Proceeds from the tournament raise money not only for college scholarships in Beaulier’s name, but also for the youth and football programs in Portsmouth, where Mark once played and later coached.
“This (tournament) has been wonderful over the years,” said Amy Beaulier, the daughter of former Portsmouth High School head football coach Tom Daubney, who coached Mark. “A gentleman once told me, ‘We die twice in this lifetime; the first time when you leave this Earth; and the second time when people stop talking about you.’ I didn’t want that to happen with Mark. We talk about him all the time; you want to remember people, and this has been a blessing.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Six scholarships were given to Portsmouth High School football players from last year's tournament. Portsmouth High School head football coach Brian Pafford said more than $40,000 in college scholarships have been awarded in Beaulier's name over the years, with additional funds going to Portsmouth football programs.
“That's amazing,” Amy said. “I think it’s wonderful. Our family looks forward to this tournament every year. It’s an amazing day.”
Who was Portsmouth football standout Mark Beaulier?
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Pafford, also a member of Portsmouth's Class of 1985, was a football teammate of Beaulier's, and a lifelong friend.
"He was just a positive guy in all aspects of life, whether it be on the football field or as a friend," Pafford said. "He was just a good all-around person. He exemplified what (Coach Daubney) tried to instill into us when we were playing for him. Coach (Daubney) always told us doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing, and Mark was always doing the right thing. He was just a good, no great, all-around person."
You must be registered for see images attach
Amy and Mark met in third grade, were high school sweethearts, and were married for 21 years. Amy, who said her 21 years of marriage to Mark was 'not long enough," called him a “very special human being.”
“Mark had an infectious personality, and a great sense of humor,” Amy said. “Fourteen years and this tournament keeps getting bigger and bigger, and it’s all because of who Mark was. Portsmouth is just a wonderful town, and it shows every year in this tournament.”
This year’s unique golf tournament format
Last year's tournament, which raised approximately $40,000, had a waiting list, prompting Goss and others to expand the format with an afternoon session to raise even more money.
“(Beaulier) wasn’t a guy who would expect (the success of this tournament with his name), but I think he would be proud,” Goss said.
There will be a tournament get-together on Thursday, May 15 at the Clipper Tavern in Portsmouth at 6:30 p.m.
Proceeds from Thursday's get-together event will be donated to the GoFundMe page for Shon Parham. Parham, a 2017 graduate of Portsmouth High School, was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Player registration at Pease will begin Friday at 6 a.m. with a shotgun start of 7:30 a.m. for the morning session. Lunch, raffles and the silent auction will begin at 12:30 p.m.
For the afternoon session, which still has limited foursomes available, player registration will begin on Friday at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start of 2:30 p.m. Dinner, raffles and the silent auction will begin at 7:30 p.m.
“Mark would be very humbled (by the tournament success)," Amy Beaulier said.
To register a foursome, or get more information on potential sponsorships, or to donate raffle or silent auction items, visit the 10th annual Portsmouth Football Golf Tournament website.
Keeping Beaulier’s legacy alive
Goss hopes this year’s tournament, with the historic number of golfers, raises at least $50,000. He estimates the previous years have raised close to a total of $400,000.
“This tournament has really become a great thing, it’s one of my favorite events of the year,” Goss said. “It gives me a chance to honor one of my best friends, and to make sure he's never forgotten.”
Goss said last year’s tournament, with just over 200 players, raised right around $40,000. With each tournament, after scholarships are given out, remaining proceeds are split between the Portsmouth High School football program, and the Portsmouth youth football program.
John Lachapelle coached youth football with Mark for one year.
“Mark was just a really fun, great guy,” Lachapelle said. “I think he would be humbled (about this tournament).”
Board another former Clipper
Proceeds from Thursday's get-together before the tournament will be donated to the Go Fund Me page for Shon Parham. Parham, a 2017 graduate of Portsmouth High School. Parnham was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphona.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mark Beaulier's legacy lives on with Portsmouth golf tourney
Continue reading...
