DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation Donated $48,000 to Nonprofits

The DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation based in Shelton knows the power of giving to others. This year the Foundation has presented a generous $48,000 donation to three vital nonprofits that help people of all ages, from children and teenagers to adults.

Funded primarily from the proceeds of the DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament, the Foundation has made a major impact on the region by donating $508,000 to nearly 20 charities over the past 17 years.

Most recently, nearly 100 golfers played the challenging 18-hole private course at Brownson Country Club in Shelton. The following charities each received a $16,000 donation: Spooner House and Adam’s House, both located in Shelton, and the Tony DiMatteo Scholarship Fund affiliated with Notre Dame Catholic High School in Fairfield.

This Foundation was established in 2005 by the DiMatteo Family as a tribute to Anthony “Tony” DiMatteo, company founder and their late father, who was battling colon cancer at the time.

Currently, DiMatteo Group includes two divisions in Shelton: DiMatteo Group Financial Services and DiMatteo Group Tax and Accounting. In October, both businesses recently relocated along the Bridgeport Avenue corridor, from 79 Bridgeport Avenue to 1000 Bridgeport Avenue.

“Every year we receive great support from the community, our generous sponsors and over a dozen dedicated volunteers,” said John DiMatteo of Bethany. "We want to thank everyone who contributed to our successful 17th Annual Golf Tournament. By giving from the heart, they have made a difference in the lives of thousands of children, teenagers and adults throughout the region.”

The mission of Spooner House is to provide food, shelter and support services to people in need. They are devoted to helping their clients establish a self-sufficient living situation.

In addition, the Adam Wysota Foundation offers grief education and peer support in a home-like setting called Adam’s House. In this safe, healing environment, children and their families participate in an 8-week grief class. Participants draw support from their peers and gain new strategies for dealing with their loss.

The Tony DiMatteo Scholarship Fund was established in 2020 in honor of the late Anthony DiMatteo. He helped start the Notre Dame Catholic High School football program with Lou Saccone in 1958 through 1965 as offense and defensive line coach. This scholarship is awarded to a deserving student athlete who otherwise would not be able to attend college.

Sixteen area companies and business associates of DiMatteo Group were golf sponsors. The top platinum sponsor was Cross Insurance. At the gold level, donors included: DiMatteo Group Financial Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance, MEGIN, Preferred Tool & Die, DD Insurance & Financial Services LLC, and RJW Foundation.

Silver sponsors lending their support were: Acadia, Beta Squared Lithography, BH Burke & Company, Burns Construction, DiMatteo Group Tax & Accounting, Lesko Family Charitable Foundation, The Hartford, Total Mortgage and Victory Capital.

A&A Windshields in Shelton was the in-kind sponsor for the Break the Windshield Contest, which raised $400. Steve Geremia from A&A Windshields also provided a special prize to the winner of this fun contest.

The following 15 volunteers deserve special recognition: Shelton residents Jill Bruno, Rosemarie Esposito, Loretta Lesko, Natalie Kaszei, Rose Grzybala, Victoria DiMatteo, Barbara Gelozin, Patti Moonan and Jenine Motasky; Jessica DiMatteo of Bethany; Arlene Greco of Naugatuck, Genie Tricarico of Seymour, Alyssa Zavadsky of Middlebury, Julie Pare of New Jersey, and Nicole Esposito of New York.

“In order to maximize our gross proceeds, we rely heavily on this dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom have lent a helping hand since the tournament's inception," noted Rosemarie Esposito of Shelton. "The mission of our Family Foundation in conjunction with our Golf Tournament is to provide funding to organizations who are dedicated to research, education and finding a cure for diseases that have touched the lives of our friends, families, clients and staff. In recent years, we have expanded our scope to include the support of those in our community.”

The golf tournament has previously supported nearly 20 local and national nonprofits, including: Alliance for Prevention and Wellness, Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital, BHcare, Valley Angels for Families, Project Purple, National Kidney Foundation, the Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services, The Kennedy Center, St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services, St. Vincent’s SWIM Across the Sound, Juvenile Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Spooner House, Homes for the Brave Female Soldiers/Forgotten Heroes, the Young Survival Coalition, the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, and MovingWithHOPE.

Visit www.dimatteofamilyfoundation.com/ for more information.