By Jean DePlacido
correspondent
—
The 16th annual John L. McGuirk Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Aug. 6 at the Meadows of Peabody and there are openings for both golfers and sponsors. Over the years the tournament, which is near and dear to the family, has evolved.
It was started to raise money for high risk pregnancies, but after coach John McGuirk, a highly respected Peabody Youth Hockey coach for many years, was stricken with cancer which took his life, raising money to fight this deadly disease also became a top priority. Funds are now divided between the two worthy causes.
Over $100,000 has been raised to benefit medical research and treatment of high risk pregnancies at Mass General Hospital's Vincent Service and to support the North Shore Cancer Center's Wellness Fund which helps children of families cope when cancer strikes.
John McGuirk passed away seven years ago after a courageous battle with cancer of the esophagus that spread to his lymph nodes. His wife Vanita has been in charge of running the tournament every year since it started, but two months ago she became ill and had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance where she spent a couple of weeks in intensive care. The 79-year-old is back home now and able to resume her duties as a CCD teacher, head of the children's choir, and wedding coordinator at St. Adelaide's Church in West Peabody. She will be out on the golf course with her regular foursome.
"Each year it gets bigger and bigger," said her daughter Jackie McGuirk Moran, who is helping her run things this year. "We average around 130 golfers every year, and we have a new sponsor this year in Hyundai Village of Danvers. They donated a thousand dollars for the luncheon which is a huge help. We give the golfers a boxed lunch, and that's one of our biggest expenses along with the banquet dinner.
"This tournament benefits two great causes that have affected my family deeply. We started it after my younger brother and his wife had a stillborn baby at nine months. My mother ran into Dr. Timothy Johnson one day, and he told her about Vincent Services at Mass General. She learned all about the good work they do in this area. We decided to go out on the links as a family to raise money to help high risk pregnancies. After having a healthy baby, unfortunately they had another stillborn so we know personally how devastating that is."
The McGuirks have raised thousands of dollars to help others with high risk pregnancies, and helping to support families going through difficult times while loved ones battle the disease seemed like the right thing to do after John McGuirk's terminal illness. Moran estimates the total raised is over $15,000 a year. She's hoping to be up around $20,000 this summer but is realistic about the problems people face in this economy.
"My Dad was never a golfer; he was strictly into hockey," said Moran. "When he died he was 78, but so young and active he seemed more like 60. Even before the (MGH) North Shore Cancer Center was built we purchased a room plaque with his name 'Coach John McGuirk'. It's hanging up there now, and we hope to be able to pay it off this year. One day each summer we spend an afternoon on the links to help raise money for these two great causes, and have a lot of fun doing it."
Registration will be held at noon on Aug. 6, with tee off time at 1 p.m. Later that night the awards banquet will be held at the Holy Ghost Society Hall on Howley St. in Peabody. More information is available on the website http://defenselm.webs.com.
"It's always a fun time; we have a silent auction, raffles, and this year a grand raffle prize of two tickets on Southwest Airlines. We almost lost my mother a couple of months ago, but we're so fortunate to have her well again and involved in getting this tournament organized. People can sign up by themselves and we'll put them on a team or sign up as a foursome. We even have a group of five brothers that always play together."
The McGuirks are best known as a hockey family. Jackie's son Luke was a standout defenseman at Peabody High while her nephew Brian starred at Boston University. John and Vanita's children are Michael and his wife Donna, John (J.B.) and his wife Jane, Doug and his wife Eileen, Susan, Jim, and Jackie and her husband Jim. Grandchildren are Erin and Brian McGuirk, Luke and Michael Moran, and Ben, Brian, and Cassie McGuirk. The extended golf family that supports this event every year includes Ann and Gina Guange of Boston, Chris and Irene Culkeen of Danvers, Erin McGuirk of New York, Stephanie Moulaison of Peabody, Doris McGoff of Winchester, and Joe McGuire of Medford.
