Pure Gold – Eruzione’s tournament is a huge success (again)

If you’ve ever walked into the weight training center at Winthrop High School and have seen the many student-athletes using it to enhance their strength and conditioning, then you know how important an addition it has been to the Winthrop High athletic program. That beautiful facility is the result of a substantial donation by the Eruzione family and its Winthrop Charities organization. It’s just one of the many positive things that Winthrop Charities has brought to this town in an unsung, but laudatory fashion.

This brings us to the great event held last Friday at the Winthrop Golf Club, the Mike Eruzione Gold Medal Golf Tournament. Eruzione and his wife, Donna, and other members of the Eruzione family were on hand as 64 golfers took part in the annual event that raised thousands of dollars for Winthrop Charities.

It’s hard to believe, but 2010 will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Olympics when our hometown hero, Mike Eruzione, brought the world to its feet with his incredible goal that beat the Soviet Union hockey team at Lake Placid. In addition to launching the successful broadcasting career of Al Michaels with his memorable calls of wins over the Soviet Union and Finland, (“Five seconds to gold, four seconds to gold…”), the U.S. hockey team’s gold medal triumph and captain Mike inviting his teammates to join him on the medal stand, represents arguably the greatest moment in sports history. (Sports Illustrated said as much, proclaiming it the No. 1 sports moment of the 20th century).

Mike Eruzione and his family are still doing great things for this community. Their Winthrop Charities organization is making it happen for residents, young and old, throughout this town, whom Mike proudly represents during his many celebrity appearances and inspirational speeches across the country.