Golf Event and After-Party Benefit Charity Honoring Rochester Grad

A local family in need and a competitive program used by all three Rochester high schools will be recipients of a day of charitable giving in Oakland Township and downtown Rochester today.

First, the group known as Thomas Richards Charity will tee off at Twin Lakes Golf Club in Oakland Township. After, they'll head to for a night of dancing, dining and a no-stakes Texas Holdem tournament.

The nonprofit, Rochester-based charity group coordinates the golf game and after-party each year with the 20-year-class reunion of .

The charity was founded in memory of Matt Moscato, a Rochester High graduate who died in 2005. His family and friends called it Thomas Richards Charity after a clothing line Moscato owned by that name.

Organizers ask the class members involved in the reunion — this year the class of 1991 — to nominate recipients for the proceeds of the day of fundraising. From those nominations, the charity decided this year to award part of the proceeds to the Draper family of Sterling Heights and part to the Rochester High video production course.

The Draper family

The Draper family is one facing multiple medical problems, making it difficult for members of the family to work, let alone pay the bills.

Tina Draper, the single mother of four children, has three who still remain in the household, along with a grandson. Tina recently underwent arm surgery and is finding it difficult to support her family financially or physically.

Draper's 4-year-old grandson, Javen, was born four months early and had one shunt placed in his back and two shunts placed in his head. Over the course of his life he has had over 40 surgeries to revise the shunts, laser eye surgery and more hospital visits for other miscellaneous pains.

In addition, Draper's 16-year-old daughter, Taylor, recently had part of a brain tumor removed and is receiving chemotherapy treatments several times each week.

“The bills are piling up, our unreliable car is making it hard to get to the doctors and life is getting tough," wrote Draper in a letter on the Thomas Richards Charity website. "I am emotionally and financially overwhelmed and honestly don’t know how much more my family and I can handle.”

The RHS video students

In order to be competitive with other programs in the area, and to prepare kids for video-editing classes in college, the Rochester video production equipment needs an upgrade, and the Thomas Richards Charity hopes to help.

The equipment and program are used by all three Rochester high schools.

Tim Ciotti is president of Thomas Richards Charity and said he hopes to raise $24,000 today, which would pay for the necessary video-editing equipment and also would pay the Draper family's rent for a full year.

Ciotti said he isn’t afraid to think big and is hoping to reach that mark between the two events.

How to participate

About 120 golfers pre-registered for the event at Twin Lakes Golf and Swim Club, though Ciotti invites anyone to attend. Cost to take part in the shotgun is $85, which includes beverage cart services on the course. The event begins at noon.

After participants finish up on the greens, they will make their way to  for a fundraising bash from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Ciotti has high hopes for about 1,000 people to attend the evening event.

For the fundraiser volunteers will be taking a $10 donation at the door, which provides one draft drink with entry. The night will provide live music, dancing, silent auction items to bid on and a no-stakes Texas Holdem game.

For more information on the golf event or after-party, or to learn more about the Thomas Richards Charity visit www.trcares.com.