Golf outing among friends becomes something bigger

By Justin Wier

jwier@vindy.com

CANFIELD

What began as an informal golf outing among classmates has turned into an annual event that has raised more than $100,000 for the Canfield Local School District over five years.

The event started about 30 years ago when Canfield graduate John Tillery moved to Virginia. He and his high-school friends would get together and play golf when he came into town for the Fourth of July each year, in what they eventually dubbed the “Till Open.”

“That meant Till was in town, and we would book tee times all over,” said Till Open board member Richard Duffett.

In 2012, they decided to make the informal events, which often involved more than 20 people, into an annual golf outing to raise funds for the Canfield schools.

In its first year, the group raised $8,000. That has grown to a total of $113,000 for more than 20 different extracurricular programs over five years.

Local businesses such as White House Fruit Farm and DiRusso Sausage donate food each year.

This year’s outing is scheduled for July 1 at Mill Creek Golf Course, with a start time of 9 a.m. after an 8 a.m. memorial ceremony.

This year’s Till Open will honor Grant Galvin, Thomas James, Victor Mohl, Mark Seiser and Helen Tillery. Duffett said the ceremony is open to the public and will include the participation of the Canfield High School marching band and cheerleaders along with a Marine Corps honor guard.

Event sponsor Chuck Eddy, who participated in the earlier, informal Till Opens, said the event grew over the years and turned into an opportunity to give back to the schools that give so much to the community.

“We’ve all had the opportunity to raise families, start businesses, and it’s the education we got in that building that made it possible,” Eddy said.

A memorial trophy awarded to the winning team each year bears the name of Eddy’s late mother, Shirley.

John Tillery, the event’s namesake, echoed Eddy’s thoughts.

“We wanted to get involved, have fun and give back,” Tillery said.

He said the school did so much to make the group’s lives better.

Standing outside a softball field he said was the product of private donations to the school district, Superintendent Alex Geordan said the group behind the outing has made the schools better, too.

“Without the support of outside organizations, our athletic complex can’t grow, and our offerings inside the school can’t grow,” Geordan said. “Without their support, our kids would not have access to what they do otherwise.”