2022 HHD Golf Challenge

5th Annual Health and Human Development Golf Challenge is a Success

It was a crisp and breezy Saturday morning on October 8, 2022 as golfers of all skills and ages headed to the Blue Course at Penn State for the 5th Annual Penn State College of Health and Human Development Golf Challenge.

Joe Hughes ’99 PGM, general manager of the Penn State Golf Courses, kicked off the morning with rules for the event, followed by greetings from special guest and Penn State Board of Trustees member Steve Wagman ’82 HPA along with Health Policy and Administration (HPA) Affiliate Program Group (APG) President Teri Howes ’09 MHA.

40 golfers braved cold and windy conditions on the course. The event concluded with an early afternoon BBQ lunch catered by Bonfire Old Fashioned BBQ and silent auction of golf products and Penn State memorabilia while the tournament winners were announced.

The Golf Challenge raised over $9,700 for the HPA APG, and another $2,655 split between the Kinesiology, Professional Golf Management, and Recreation, Park, and Tourism Affiliate Program Groups.

Funds raised by the HPA APG will support learning outside the classroom (e.g., case competitions, health care conferences, internship expenses) through the Marshall Raffel and Stanley Mayers Undergraduate Student Engaged Learning Fund.

The College of Health and Human Development is thankful for the many people who contributed to the success of this event, including:

• The Penn State Golf courses staff, led by General Manager Joe HughesSteve Wagman, HHD celebrity guest and auctioneer
• Key sponsors: Aetna Behavioral Health, Geisinger Health System, Neuroflow, One on One Fitness, and Mount Nittany Medical Center
• Auction donations from Health and Human Development alumni Teri Howes, Joe Hughes, Sean Palmer, Chris Duckett, Steve Wagman, Melissa Minniti, and Eric Handley
• A wonderful contingent of 30+ volunteers, including students, friends, and alumni from the departments of Health Policy and Administration, Nutritional Sciences, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Biobehavioral Health, and Kinesiology, along with the PGA Professional Golf Management programLunch catered by Bonfire Old Fashioned BBQ, Port Matilda, PA
• Coordination and planning by the HHD Golf Tournament Planning Committee, led by Christina Gettins ’96 HPA

Next year, the Health Policy and Administration Affiliant Program Group will pass the torch of running the tournament to Melissa Minniti (’17 KINES), Kinesiology APG President, and her fellow members. The Kinesiology Affiliate Program Group was integral in participating in 2022 tournament planning and operation and we are excited for the 2023 HHD Golf Challenge.