Grace Church golf tourney to honor Innisfree and Byron

MILLBROOK — On Monday, Aug. 15, Grace Episcopal Church will host a golf and dinner benefit, honoring Innisfree Garden of Millbrook and John Byron for their contributions to the greater community and the church.

The Grace Golf & Dinner Benefit raises funds to provide financial support for vital charitable programs including the Millbrook Community Preschool, Grace Immigrant Outreach, the Food of Life Program, Church Alliance Senior Housing Program and EPIC (Engaging People in Change), a regional high school leadership program, along with the Grace Year Fellowship program.   

The event, which takes place at the Quaker Hill Country Club in Pawling, includes 18 holes of golf with a tee-off time of 12:30 p.m.

Golf includes lunch, on-course refreshments, golf cart and prizes. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour and presentation by Kate Kerin of Innisfree and a silent auction that ends out the night.

Silent auction items include a vacation package at the Julietta House in Gloucester, Mass.; gift certificates to area restaurants such as Troutbeck and the Millbrook Café; tickets to sporting events at Marist College, West Point Army Football and the Hudson Valley Renegades; spa packages from Marion’s Salon and Tyte Medispa; gifts from Elizabeth Boutique and J.McLaughlin; theatre tickets to Paramount and Sharon Playhouse, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery and so much more.

The cost is $125 for dinner; $145 for golf and lunch; and $195 for golf, lunch and dinner. Croquet will also be played.

The private Quaker Hill Country Club is rich in beauty and history, and is at 1013 Old Quaker Hill Road in Pawling. Registration is now open for sponsorships, golf and dinner.

This year’s Pillar of Grace honoree is John Byron, who has helped lead, support and sustain Grace Church for decades, always pitching in, and being faithful. He recently celebrated in 95th birthday.

Byron is a U.S. Navy veteran who served in WWII and the Korean War. He was a NYC Police Department sergeant, where he served more than 30 years. He is a real-life hero.

This year’s “Community Builder” award goes to Landscape Curator Kate Kerin and Innisfree Garden, with 185-acres of designed and natural landscapes around the serene Tyrrel Lake in Millbrook. The landmark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places with exceptional significance. The garden’s remarkable choreography invites exploration, contemplation and renewal.

Innisfree has been the host of “Blessing of Sacred Places” ecumenical service for the past several years. This event invites people of all faiths to gather and pray throughout the garden.

Sponsorships are available: Corporate Golf costs $2,500; Business Silver costs $1,000, Lunch costs $500; Hole in One costs $500; Eagle costs $400; Birdie costs $300; Honoree costs $250; Golf Ball costs $200; and Grace Outreach costs $150.

To register, call 845-677-3064; 845-341-7348; or 914 456-1097; email office@gracemillbrook.org; or go to www.gracemillbrook.org.

Pamela Freeman has been a parishioner of Grace Episcopal Church for the past 25 years and is retired from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook. Pam volunteers as a puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.