The Greatest week is here

How’s your coming week looking?

Ours is going to be a Greatest week.

The 2015 Greatest Golfer of the Valley culminates this week – our sixth year and as strong as ever.

So strong at such a cool time of the year, it validates the tag we applied – “The Greatest Week in the Valley.”

Here’s what you can look forward to with Greatest Week:

MONDAY

Miller Lite Greatest Scramble Championship

Over the summer, 24 charities signed up to create this championship structure that we forged with Superior Beverage and The Lake Club. From those charity events, 24 teams advanced to this Monday’s championship.

Team golf is rather fun, and it’s great to see some of the best names in Valley golf work their way onto teams to see who’s the best.

It tees off at 1 p.m. at The Lake Club.

THURSDAY

Greatest Long Drive Championship

Tippecanoe Country Club hosts for the second year this fun event.

Come see 25 of the biggest golf-ball hitters in the Valley. It’s pretty cool to watch this. When we’re at work or at picnics, we hear about players who hit the ball big, and you hear them talking about it. These 25 guys who will hit Thursday are in a different league. It’s fast-food vs. fine dining.

It runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and is free to watch.

Frankie Valli performance

The United Way and The Cleveland Clinic host Frankie Valli on Thursday night.

The Lake Club will be a great setting for this fundraiser for two vital organizations.

Tickets are on sale for $100. Go to ticketmaster.com for this special event.

When the Pipino and Muransky families team up with other key Valley groups, it’s sure to be spectacular.

FRIDAY

Farmers National Bank Greatest Golfer of the Valley tournament

This is Year 6 of this event, and the third- straight year at the 300ish participant level.

With all-time host Farmers Bank leading this, it all starts at Mill Creek on Friday. Saturday we split up to some greatest partners – Youngstown Country Club, Tippecanoe Country Club, Trumbull Country Club and Oaktree Country Club.

Sunday it comes home to host/sponsor/originator, The Lake Club.

The best 100 golfers who survive Friday and Saturday will “Make Lake” and have a chance to be called “Greatest.”

SUNDAY

Football season is upon us – a sure sign the Valley’s exciting summer transitions into a great fall.

Next Sunday’s Vindicator will host our annual preview guide to all the high school teams.

Coming along with that coverage, our Youngstown State University football coverage kicks into gear.

AFTER THAT

We took some liberties with “Greatest Week” this year. Because the way the calendar landed with five August weekends, our key events of “the week” are stretched a bit.

The Panerathon created by Covelli Enterprises is Sunday, Aug. 30 and has been a triumphant downtown Youngstown event that also helped propel the Joanie Abdu Breast Care Center at Mercy Health.

The run/walk is a sibling of sort with Greatest Golfer in that it, too, is 6 years young and is so celebrated by the Valley.

And when the Panerathon packs up, so many of us turn toward the Canfield Fair.

Covelli Enterprises is in Year 3 with us of making the “Greatest Week” a bit of a celebration of the Valley.

This is just a great week (or more) window to wrap up our summer travels and wanderings and return our minds and souls to home with a bit of a burst.

All of the golf events are free to the public to come watch. Find all info on the event at vindy.com/golf.

THANKS

Greatest has become work for us, which is different from the sheer fun it was when it was new in 2010. But work is fantastic.

It’s even better with great partners. Greatest has been blessed since Day 1.

Dennis Miller, Ed Muransky, Mike Ferranti, John Diana, Jonah Karzmer and Farmers National Bank launched our idea onto a path.

Along the way, we’ve found so many great partners and sponsors.

Mill Creek, New Castle School of Trades and Sleepy Hollow have been longtime supporters.

Tippecanoe, Avalon Lakes Golf and Country Club, Lariccia’s Marketplace and Superior Beverage are examples of folks who’ve joined in the fun just in time.

Some would say flukey. I like to think it’s simply Valley Providence that good things find each other to become great.

Or Greatest.

Todd Franko is editor of The Vindicator. He likes emails about stories and our newspaper. Email him at tfranko@vindy.com. He blogs, too, on Vindy.com. Tweet him, too, at @tfranko.