(Middletown, RI) July 2, 2025 – The “Drive for Mental Health” Charity Golf Tournament, presented by Horan Building Company, brought together a record 124 golfers and 15 major sponsors in an inspiring display of competition and compassion. This annual event, held at The Aquidneck Club on June 23 and benefiting Newport Mental Health’s Annual Fund, raised more than $150,000 to support essential programs and services for individuals in Newport County who are facing behavioral health and substance use challenges.
The event featured close competition across two divisions. In the Best Ball division, newcomers Joseph Cesaro, Ryan Brannigan, Austin Donaldson, and Micah Howdy scored an impressive 55 (16 under par), winning the tournament on a tiebreaker against last year’s champions Andrew Tuchler, Chad Kritzas, Travis Hampton, and Jason Post.
In the newly introduced Scramble division, the Fisher’s Island Lemonade (beverage sponsor) team — Bronya Shillo, Mitchell Belanger, Russell Belanger, and Maxx Delaney — finished with a score of 63 (8 under par), narrowly defeating the presenting sponsor’s team of brothers Mark, Chris, Steve, and Shawn Horan, by one stroke.
Mark Horan, an NMH board member and founder and president of Horan Building Company, which has been the tournament’s lead sponsor for past five years, reflected on why the cause means so much to him. “I’ve seen the need in the community,” he says. “Mental health touches everybody. We all know someone who’s going through it. It’s often a quiet thing, and it’s bigger than we know. Our hope is to raise awareness so more people know support is available.”
Dayna Gladstein, President & CEO of Newport Mental Health, joined Horan to present the awards inside The Aquidneck Club’s stunning waterfront clubhouse. First, she shared a moving story about how the agency’s clinicians are supporting first responders and Portsmouth schools following a tragic event involving young people.
“People ask me, ‘how do you do this?’” she said about the agency’s response. “It’s through philanthropic support that we are able to do amazing things like respond to a crisis without worrying about charging a fee. It’s generous people, like all of you in this room, who make that happen. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.”
The evening continued with prize drawings and a live auction featuring Red Sox box seats, foursomes at The Aquidneck Club and Pocasset Golf Club, and a vacation rental in a stunning historic home in the heart of Newport.
In addition to Horan Building Company, generous sponsors included Farrar & Associates, Inc., scramble sponsor; Donovan & Sons, Inc., golf cart sponsor; Fishers Island Lemonade, beverage sponsor; UBS, dinner sponsor; Jonathan & Leah Stearns, lunch sponsor; RE/MAX Results, Fitzpatrick Team, swag bag sponsor; National Security Fire Alarm Systems, vista sponsor; Newport Jeep, hole-in-one sponsor; Wilmington Trust, snack shack sponsor; Newport Propane, longest drive sponsor; Kirby Perkins Construction, closest to the pin sponsor; Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, 50/50 raffle sponsor; Chris Electric, lightning sponsor; Colonial Life, Kimberly Cunningham, longest putt sponsor.
“Newport Mental Health extends its deepest appreciation to all participants, sponsors, and contributors who made this event possible,” says Susan Piacenti, Vice President of Philanthropy for Newport Mental Health. “Together, we are driving change and making a lasting difference in the lives of those who live, work, and study in Newport County.”
