HACKETTSTOWN (June 26, 2006) - Its becoming a ritual at the Hackettstown Regional Medical Center (HRMC) Foundations Annual Golf Classic. For the second straight year, a golfer came away with a brand new car after scoring a hole-in-one. This year, the lucky golfer was Dr. Jeffrey Wexler. Dr. Wexler registered his ace on the second hole at Panther Valley Golf & Country Club in Allamuchy Township at the 20th Annual HRMC Foundation Golf Classic held on Monday, June 12th.
 
Last year, two golfers - Elise Holck and Dan DeSande - each sank holes-in-one to win cars.
 
Wexler wasnt the only beneficiary at the event - all proceeds from this years Golf Classic will go toward the development of a new, Low-Risk Cardiac Catheterization and Vascular Lab at HRMC.
 
Dr. Wexler, a radiologist at St. Clares Health Systems in Denville, was the fourth golfer in his foursome to tee off. After watching the three previous golfers take their shots, Dr. Wexler took a nice easy swing and lofted the ball to the right of the flag. He was hoping to have the ball hit atop the elevated - and slanted - green and come back to the left toward the pin. With the hole placed on a hill, it was impossible to see the path of the ball once it hit. As he turned away after taking the shot, he heard HRMC employees/volunteer spotters Sandy Stone and Val McGrory screaming, In the hole, in the hole ... hole-in-one! The 16-year veteran of the links later learned that the ball hit to the right, stopped, and then rolled left to the hole.
 
Id been close three times before, said Dr. Wexler, who won a Saturn SUV donated by Saturn of Mt. Olive. But this was my first one in. I never saw it go in. I was just trying to hit a nice easy shot.
 
Dr. Wexler was playing with the I.D. Associates foursome consisting of Dr. Edward McManus, Dr. Joseph Kim, and Dr. Elmer Gilo. When Wexlers 12-year old son heard about the auto-winning shot, he immediately asked his father if he could learn to drive the new car!
 
Presenting sponsor Masterfoods USA, makers of M&Ms Chocolate Candies, also earned bragging rights when its foursome of Monte S. Brooks, Bill Downs, Wolfgang Gstattenbauer and William Ricci took first place in the Golf Classic.
 
The victorious first place team was presented with the Jesse Lawrence Memorial Championship Award trophy. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the HRMC Foundation Golf Classic, the unique first-place trophy was named in honor of the late Jesse Lawrence a community-minded area businessman who was instrumental in starting the Foundation Golf Classic two decades ago. Jesses widow, Marcia, their four children and other family members were recognized during the awards dinner portion of the event.
 
The second place team, Barr & Barr, Inc., was represented by Eric VanHook, Randy Riselli, Bob Such and Jim Travis. The team of Jeffrey Frankel, CPA and Lewis S. Goodfriend & Associates, which featured Jeff Frankel, Marc Hirschel, Dan Grover and Matt Murello, took third place.
Nearly $500,000 has been raised from this event in the last six years alone.
The HRMC Foundations Golf Classic is a winner through and through, said Michael Selvaggi, Golf Classic Chairman. Golfers truly enjoy being a part of it and the hospital is the biggest winner of all, since these important funds are raised for new programs and expanded services that will ultimately benefit so many patients in this region.
 
For further information about the HRMC Foundation and what it can do for you, please call (908) 850-6876.