The Annual Golf Tournament winning team, left to right: Ryan Nolte, Trevor Martin, Jim Jenkins, John Devane and Chris Lavoie. (Photo courtesy Town of Canton) 
Veterans Agent Arafat Knight and Wampatuck Veterans Club member Ken Starr at the Annual Golf Tournament. (Photo courtesy Town of Canton) 
Butch King and Freddy Gladstone at the Annual Golf Tournament. (Photo courtesy Town of Canton) 
A player putts during the Annual Golf Tournament. (Photo courtesy Town of Canton)
CANTON — Veterans Agent Arafat Knight is pleased to share the success of the Department of Veterans Services’ Annual Golf Tournament last month.
The tournament was held at the Wampatuck Country Club in Canton with 79 players. “Team Devane” won the tournament with members John Devane, Ryan Nolte, Trevor Martin, Jim Jenkins and Chris Lavoie.
Proceeds raised from the tournament are put into the Canton Veterans Fund. The fund allows the Department of Veterans Services to help Canton veterans and their families in need. Over $11,000 was raised through this year’s tournament.
As part of the fundraising efforts, local businesses sponsored holes and items for a raffle, including a $1,500 gift certificate to Joe and Leigh’s Discount Golf Pro Shop, a meat smoker, Red Sox tickets, Boston Bruins tickets, gift baskets, a 65-inch TV, golf bags and restaurant gift cards.
The tournament was coordinated with the help of many volunteers who contacted sponsors and assisted with overall planning efforts.
Family members of the late Richie Eckler attended the tournament. Richie was a lifelong resident of Canton and a Vietnam War Veteran who was very much involved in the town’s veterans services and ran the golf tournament for over 10 years. Richie’s son and daughter played in the tournament.
Family members of Tony Andreotti also attended. Tony was a Korean War Veteran and the former Veterans Agent. He played a significant role in creating the town’s Veterans Memorial Park, which brought together Canton’s veterans memorials to one place. He also started a Funeral Honor Guard group, which attends funeral and burial services for Massachusetts veterans. One of Tony’s sons donated the meat smoker for the raffle and helped out in support of the tournament and his father’s legacy.
Both Richie and Tony passed away in 2022. The annual golf tournament will be re-named in their honor and in recognition of their work on behalf of Canton’s veterans.
“We look forward to this golf tournament every year as a way to support our local veterans and their families,” Arafat Knight said. “Thank you to all who sponsored the event and to the many Canton residents who volunteered their time to make this year’s tournament a success!”
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