One of State’s Largest Veterans Charity Golf Events to Tee Off for 16th Time; Veteran of Distinction Awards are Named in Honor of Angelo Tomasso, Sr. and Angelo Tomasso, Jr.

New Britain, Conn., July 14, 2026 – Robert Roy of Newington, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star awardee who served more than 30 years in the Army, along with the late John Lynch, a Kensington Marine Corps Veteran and long-time leader in the Greater New Britain Veterans community, will be this year’s Angelo Tomasso, Sr. and Angelo Tomasso, Jr. Veteran of Distinction Award honorees at the Disabled American Veterans Hardware City Chapter 8’s Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open September 25 at Tunxis Country Club.

The event, presented by Liberty Bank, is among the state’s largest Veterans charity golf tournaments. More than 200 golfers and some 300 dinner attendees are expected to support causes including DAV Chapter 8, House of Heroes Connecticut and other non-profit organizations honoring and serving Veterans and active-duty military. Over the past decade-plus, the “GK” as it is affectionately called has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for donation to Veterans charities.

Roy, 58, served from 1984 to 2017 in the Army and Army Reserve, and was deployed across the world including war zones in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. Following his 2017 retirement he continued to serve by volunteering with organizations including the Civil Air Patrol, Knights of Columbus, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project and more. In 2025, Roy was diagnosed with Hilar cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer believed to be caused by exposure to toxins during his military service. He has endured multiple hospitalizations, surgeries and treatments, losing more than 70 pounds in a fight to become eligible for a high-risk surgery that could save his life.

Lynch, who served in the Marine Corps in French Morocco from 1955-1959, was a highly respected leader in the Greater New Britain Veterans community for decades before his passing at age 89 in June of 2025. He was a long-time Commander of the Marine Corps League Hardware City Detachment 781 and was familiar to all as the stoic and dependable Master of Ceremonies at most every New Britain-area Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremony for years. When a New Britain-area group or organization wanted to honor Veterans in some way, John Lynch was usually the first phone call they made. Lynch was a long-time supporter of causes and organizations including Toys for Tots, the Rose Program, the Military Order of the Devil Dogs, the New Britain Veterans Council, the General Haller Post, the Franco American War Veterans, the Iwo Jima Memorial Historical Foundation, the American Legion and DAV Chapter 8’s Wreaths Across America of New Britain program.

DAV Chapter 8 established The Tomasso Awards in 2023 to annually honor, at the Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open, a Central Connecticut veteran or veterans who has/have made a meaningful impact and inspired others through exemplary military service and/or community leadership. Italian immigrant Angelo Tomasso, Sr., served proudly in World War I prior to establishing The Tomasso Company in 1923. His son, Angelo, Jr., served in World War II, earning a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the Philippines before coming home and eventually taking over the legendary company following his father’s unexpected passing in 1952. Tomasso, Jr., passed away at age 90 in 2015.

Golf registration is $185, which includes range, greens fees/cart, premium gift bag, lunch and beverages, prizes and post-golf dinner, silent auction and raffle. Shotgun start is 11 a.m. Dinner-only registration is available for $85. A variety of sponsorships, ranging from $125 for a tee sign to $5,000 for a Diamond Sponsorship, are available. Information and online registration are available at www.davchapter8.org.

For further information about the Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open, visit www.davchapter8.org or contact Tournament Founder and Director Dennis Buden at dennis.buden@davchapter8.org or 860-558-0514.

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Media Contact: Dennis Buden, DAV Hardware City Chapter 8 (860) 558-0514 dennis.buden@davchapter8.org