2025 Tournament Winners Flanagan Team with Tournament Chair Marty Kern (right)
More than 100 CAP supporters and friends showed up to hit the course at Deerwood Country Club on December 1, undaunted by the chilly breeze and forecasted rain. Luckily, the weather held and the game was on.
And what a game it turned out to be: CAP’s 9th Annual Golf Tournament, presented by Fickling Construction, raised nearly $133,000 in support of arts education this giving season. Since its inception, the only golf tournament to support arts education on the First Coast has raised more than $1 million.
“The success of our recent golf tournament was nothing short of remarkable. It’s a testament to the dedication and passion of everyone involved, from our devoted committee members to our generous sponsors and participants. Raising $132,990 is an incredible achievement, and it fills me with pride to see our community come together for such a worthy cause,” said Marty Kern, Tournament Chair. “We’re already looking forward to next year’s event and continuing this tradition of excellence to support the Cathedral Arts Project.”
Rising to the top of a field of 27 teams, the Beverly & Michael Flanagan team, comprised of Michael Flanagan, Alexander Flanagan, Clayton Miller and Carl Fox, took home the grand prize with the best net score of the day. The Cornelius & Leone team, comprised of Jack Leone, Curtis Campbell, Martin Mattone and Bill Bemis, took second place; The Ferber Company team, comprised of Rob Kearney, James Kearney, Jimmy Nisson and Nelson Henry, came in third.
Art Balls decorated by CAP Visual Arts students
On-course competitions drove excitement and friendly rivalry throughout the day, but a favorite was the Art Ball contest. CAP visual arts students decorated colorful and inspiring golf balls for the teams to use during play, and at the end of the day, those who were able to keep up with their Art Ball received a raffle ticket.
Jenna Spearman led the women’s Longest Drive Competition and Josh Kinsey won the men’s division; Jerry Kelley won the men’s Closest to the Pin Competition while Nicole Kopic won the women’s. Other competitions included a BlackJack Contest, Cornhole raffle, Pop-a-Shot raffle, passport book raffle, square board and a Hole-in-One contest for a grand prize of $10,000.
BlackJack competition
The tournament also featured bites and beverages and a silent auction, concluding with an awards reception and live auction presided over by Jeff Prosser of 1010XL.
Golfers, staff and volunteers enjoyed the awards ceremony, which included words from Tournament Chair Marty Kern and past Tournament Chair Alan Fickling, as well as CAP Clinical Creative Art Counselor LaRhonda Britton-James, LMHC, who spoke about the importance of arts education for children in Northeast Florida.
LaRhonda Britton-James, LMHC, spoke about how the arts helped her as a child
Britton-James shared her personal perspective on how the arts helped her work through difficult feelings that arose from the challenges of being a child of a military family. She also shared how her own daughter finding an artistic outlet in a CAP strings class led to her attending Douglas Anderson School for the Performing Arts — building creativity, dedication and resilience along the way.
“Art has always been a passion of mine, rooted deep within my childhood experiences. Growing up as a shy, odd kid with a father in the Air Force, I often found myself far from family and friends. In those moments of loneliness, I turned to art as my sanctuary. Looking back, I now recognize that little girl’s anxiety and can envision how art empowered her to express her feelings. ” Britton-James said. “To all of you here today, thank you for your generous gifts. Your contributions are not just donations; they are investments in the futures of these wonderful students. You are helping them grow, thrive and ultimately uplift their families and communities.”
CAP would especially like to thank those who made the tournament a success, including volunteers, auction donors and numerous event sponsors. CAP also thanks the golf tournament committee which includes Anthony Austin, First Coast News; Curt Dircks, Othot, Inc.; Nader Farhat, PwC; Alan Fickling, Fickling Construction; Beverly Flanagan, PNC Bank; Frances Jabbour, Community Volunteer; Steve McCall, Florida Paint Company; Alan Pickert, Terrell Hogan; Collin Walker, Trump National Doral; and Bill Warden, Dark Matter Technologies, LLC.
For a full list of sponsors, visit capkids.org/golf. Event photos will soon be available on CAP’s Facebook and Flickr pages.
The 10th Annual CAP Golf Tournament will be held in fall 2026.
During this season of giving, if you’d like to support CAP’s work of ensuring every young person in our community has access to a high-quality arts education, click here to make a charitable contribution today.
