DiMatteo Foundation Doubles Charity Impact Raising $87K Through Golf and Gala Events

Recently, the DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation organized two charity events to more than double its support to the community this year.  Its golf classic and gala contributed over $87,750 to four nonprofits around the state.

John DiMatteo of Bethany, President of DiMatteo Group Financial Services in Shelton, noted, “We wanted to expand our fundraising efforts to support more organizations in need and introduce a new type of event alongside the golf outing we have organized for nearly 20 years.”

Two days before the golf tournament, over 100 guests attended the First Annual DiMatteo Family Foundation Gala that was hosted at Il Palio in Shelton.  DiMatteo added, “We chose to support this particular charity because a close family friend and business colleague’s son was diagnosed with pediatric leukemia and received excellent care at Connecticut Children’s Hospital.  We want to help them continue their incredible work.”

The gala raised $48,000 through sponsorships and a live and silent auction for the Connecticut Children’s Foundation in Hartford.

This very successful inaugural event was chaired by Jessica DiMatteo of Bethany, a third-generation family member with DiMatteo Group Financial Services.  She was assisted by the following dedicated committee members:  Bethany residents John and Kim DiMatteo, Anthony DiMatteo of Guilford, Michael DiMatteo of Tampa, Florida; and David and Patricia Raffauf of Orange.

Support for other charities continued a couple of days later.  During its annual golf tournament, nearly 109 golfers were swinging their clubs for others in need at Blackhawk Country Club in Stratford.

As a result of their supporters’ generosity, this Shelton-based Foundation presented a $39,750 donation to three regional nonprofits.  The Foundation is funded primarily from the proceeds of the DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament.  The following three nonprofits each received a generous check of $13,250:  TEAM, Inc.; the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, and the Tony DiMatteo Scholarship Fund, affiliated with Notre Dame Catholic High School in Fairfield.

TEAM, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit human services agency whose mission is to strengthen our communities by educating, supporting and empowering individuals and families.  Specifically, the donation has been earmarked for the Community Rising TEAM Flood Relief Fund, which provides direct assistance to flood survivors and their homes from the devastating August 18th flooding in the Valley region.

Likewise, the mission of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley is to provide, in a safe environment, programs that inspire, educate, guide and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.  For over 65 years, their array of programming serves over 2,000 children annually.

The Tony DiMatteo Scholarship Fund was established in 2020 in honor of the late Anthony DiMatteo.  He helped start the Notre Dame Catholic High School football program with Lou Saccone in 1958 through 1965 as offense and defensive line coach.  This scholarship is awarded to a deserving student athlete who otherwise would not be able to attend Notre Dame High School.

The DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation based in Shelton has contributed over $636,250 to nearly 20 charities over the past 19 years.  This Foundation was established in 2005 by the DiMatteo Family as a tribute to Anthony “Tony” DiMatteo, company founder and their late father, who was battling colon cancer at the time.

A special thanks to the top platinum sponsor which was Cross Insurance.  Additionally, DiMatteo Group Financial Services, MEGIN and Preferred Tool & Die were gold sponsors.

In addition, DiMatteo Group Tax & Accounting, Fairfield Crystal Technology, Jackson National Life, Lesko Family Charitable Foundation, RJW Foundation, Victoria DiMatteo of Shelton, affiliated with DD Insurance & Financial Services LLC; BH Burke & Liberty Mutual, Total Mortgage, Captain’s Pizza, and A&A Windshields all served as supporting sponsors.

A special thank you also to Joe Bottone from Corporate Display Specialties for preparing all the sponsorship and tee signs for the tournament.

Volunteers who deserve special recognition include:  Shelton residents Rosemarie Esposito, Loretta Lesko, Natalie Kaszei, Rose Grzybala, Donna Farens, Victoria DiMatteo, Karen Minopoli and Jenine Motasky; Genie Tricarico of Seymour, Alyssa Zavadsky of Middlebury, and Danielle Marseglia of Monroe.

According to Rosemarie Esposito of Shelton, Manager of DiMatteo Group Tax & Accounting, “The mission of our Family Foundation in conjunction with our Golf Tournament is to provide funding to organizations who are dedicated to research, education and finding a cure for diseases that have touched the lives of our friends, families, clients and staff.  In recent years, we have expanded our reach to many other worthwhile charities because of the increasing needs in the community.”

Visit www.dimatteofamilyfoundation.com for more information.