Record Field Helps DAV Hardware City Chapter 8’s Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open Top $30,000 in Charitable Dollars Raised for First Time

Connecticut’s Largest Veterans Charity Golf Event, Presented by Liberty Bank, Continues to Grow and Set Records in the Pursuit of Supporting State Veterans

New Britain, Conn., November 22, 2024 – The numbers are in and they are off the charts.

Bolstered by a record 236-golfer field and higher levels of sponsor support than ever, the Disabled American Veterans Hardware City Chapter 8’s Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open on September 27 at Tunxis Country Club recorded a record tally of $30,000 raised in support of Connecticut veterans.

The annual event, presented by lead sponsor Liberty Bank and now firmly established as Connecticut’s largest veterans charity golf tournament, has now raised more than $235,000 for organizations supporting Connecticut veterans since its inception more than 10 years ago.

“The size of this year’s field just blew us all away,” said tournament Founder and Director Dennis Buden. “I am continually amazed by the generosity and capacity of Connecticut citizens and its corporate community to support those who served.”

The 2024 “GK,” as the event is affectionately called, surpassed by 30 the previous record number of golfers for the event, which was established in 2009 and first became a veterans-focused charitable event in 2011. The previous high figure for net charitable proceeds was $27,500 in 2017.

This year’s proceeds will support a wide array of causes serving veterans and active-duty military. The event’s primary beneficiaries are: 1) House of Heroes Connecticut, which provides one-day, no-cost home improvements for veterans in need, and; 2) The event’s host, DAV Chapter 8, which is part of the national Disabled American Veterans, one of the nation’s largest veterans service organizations.

Also supported by this year’s GK are Berlin-based Boxes to Boots, which provides care packages to active-duty military serving overseas; the DAV Department of Connecticut Transportation Fund, which provides transportation to medical appointments for veterans; the Iwo Jima Memorial Historical Foundation, which maintains the National Iwo Jima Memorial on the New Britain/Newington line; Project Healing Waters, which offers veterans in need peace and healing through therapeutic fly fishing programs; Scoops for Troops, a charity founded and managed by a Plainville family that raises funds to provide no-cost, week-long respites for combat-wounded vets and their families at the Travis Mills Foundation retreat in Maine; Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which builds mortgage-free homes – including specially adapted smart homes – for Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children; Bristol-based Veterans Strong Community Center, which provides support and information, and is a resource center for local veterans, service members and their families; and the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides a wide assortment of programs and services to meet the growing needs of warriors, their families and their caregivers, helping them achieve their highest ambition.

Two of these charities are benefitting at the direction of this year’s DAV Chapter 8 Angelo Tomasso, Sr. and Angelo Tomasso, Jr. Veteran of Distinction Award honorees. They are the late Robert Dornfried, Sr., of Berlin, an Army and Korean War vet and Bronze Star recipient (Boxes to Boots); and Marine Corps vet Sal Sena of Newington, a member of the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame (Wounded Warrior Project).

Along with Liberty Bank, major sponsors of this year’s Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open included Platinum Sponsors Access Health CT, Atlantic Restoration and Remodeling (now HOUZPITAL), the Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund, the Petit Family Foundation and the Starlight Program at Stonington Institute; and Gold Sponsors the Army Aviation Association of America Connecticut Chapter, Engineered Handling Systems, Jasko Development and the Italian Political Independent Club (Berlin); and many more.

Next year’s event will take place again at Tunxis Country Club on September 26, 2025.

For more information about DAV Hardware City Chapter 8 and the Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open, visit www.davchapter8.org. Inquiries regarding sponsorships for the 2025 event may be directed to Dennis Buden at dennis.buden@davchapter8.org.

About the Disabled American Veterans

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) charity dedicated to building better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families. Last year, the organization provided more than 210,000 rides to veterans attending medical appointments and assisted in filing over 174,000 claims for benefits, which resulted in $26 billion in earned benefits received. With more than 1,200 chapters, including DAV Hardware City Chapter 8, and more than one million members across the country, DAV empowers our nation’s heroes and their families by helping to provide the resources they need and ensuring our nation keeps the promises made to them.

About Liberty Bank

Established in 1825, Liberty Bank is the oldest and largest independent mutual bank in the country. With nearly $8.0 billion in assets, Liberty has 56 banking offices across Connecticut and two in Massachusetts. As a full-service financial institution, Liberty offers consumer and commercial banking, cash management, home mortgages, business loans, insurance and investment services. Liberty has been named a ‘Top Workplace’ by The Hartford Courant every year since 2012 and was designated a 2021, 2022 and 2023 Best-In-State Bank in Connecticut by Forbes Magazine.

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