Andover Resident Helps Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern MA Raise $146,000 at Annual Golf Tournament

ANDOVER, Mass. – Andover resident Mark Coneeny, chair of the Board of Advisors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, helped the nonprofit raise $146,000 for youth mentoring at its 24th annual Daquan Burrell Memorial Big Golf Tournament. The tournament was held Sept. 17 at Juniper Hill Golf Course in Northborough, and the fundraising total topped the event's $120,000 goal by $26,000.

More than 215 golfers took part. Coneeny, in his second year on the tournament committee, recruited golfers and donors from among his friends and former colleagues, even though he does not play golf himself. Proceeds support the nonprofit's one-to-one mentoring programs across Eastern Massachusetts, from the Merrimack Valley to Cape Cod and the Islands.

Coneeny's ties to the organization date to the mid-1990s. At the time, he was a relationship manager for Putnam Investments working with LPL Financial, and a client asked him to buy a table at the nonprofit's gala. He went on to serve on the gala committee and on the board of directors from the early 2000s through 2013, and he now chairs the Board of Advisors. After retiring in 2024 from a 36-year career at Putnam, he became a volunteer mentor, or Big, himself. He was matched with a high school student through Big Futures Mentoring, a program that pairs teens with professionals to prepare for whatever comes after graduation: college, trade school, entrepreneurship or the military.

"I've been part of this agency for thirty years, and I always thought of it like a second family, the people, the mission, all of it," says Coneeny. "But nothing prepared me for what it feels like to actually sit across from your Little and watch him open up to you. You realize pretty quickly this isn't charity. It's a relationship, and it changes you as much as it changes him."

Since 2003, the tournament has brought volunteer mentors together with friends and colleagues for a day of golf, a luncheon, a putting contest and an awards program. The event was renamed in 2017 in memory of Daquan Burrell, a Little who died that year after nearly 10 years with his Big. This year’s mission speaker Josh Lewin reflected on his 25 years as a Big and the profound, lasting impact the experience has had not only on his Little, but on his own life.

"Mark has given this agency nearly every kind of support a person can give, his time, his network, his leadership, and now he's giving a young person his time every week as a mentor," says Mark O'Donnell, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts. "That kind of long-term commitment is rare, and it's exactly what makes our matches work."

BBBSEM continues to grow its impact, now reaching over 4,000 youth annually. With a vision to serve 10,000 youth in 150 communities by 2028, BBBSEM is poised to continue its legacy of empowering the next generation of leaders.

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, to volunteer as a mentor, or to make a donation, visit www.emassbigs.org.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts is an innovative, energetic organization that is making a real difference in the lives of over 4,000 youth annually by providing them with an invested, caring adult mentor in long-term, professionally supported relationships. With research and proven outcomes at its core, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts is working to defend the potential of children facing adversity and ensure every child has the support from caring adults that they need for healthy development and success in life. The organization’s vision is to inspire, engage and transform communities in Eastern Massachusetts by helping youth achieve their full potential, contributing to healthier families, better schools, more confident futures and stronger communities. Throughout its 77 years, the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in New England has created and served more than 25,000 youth. For more information about the agency and its mission, visit www.emassbigs.org.

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