Josh Macera is a senior at Cranston High School West. Like most seniors, he’s wrapping up his high school career by making sure he’s got all of his course work, all of his data for his senior portfolio, and all of his required community service hours. Seniors are required to have at least 15 hours of community service in order to graduate. However, Marcera is going above and beyond the usual 15 hours.

“As part of my entrepreneurship program at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center [CACTC], I am putting on a golf tournament to benefit the V Foundation [www.jimmyv.org],” Macera said. “The foundation helps to fight cancer, and it’s had a personal impact on my family. My dad’s sister died five years ago from leukemia.”

Through his program at CACTC, Macera has had the opportunity to participate in the DECA program as well. DECA, which focuses on marketing, management, finance and hospitality, has a competition each year at the state and national levels. Macera hopes to participate in this year’s competition and is using his golf tournament for the V Foundation towards his DECA goals.

“I will be able to put the golf tournament for the V Foundation towards my community service category for DECA,” he said. “I’ll need to submit a portfolio to go along with it.”

Macera, who plans to major in sports management in college, knows that he’s bitten off a huge amount of responsibility in planning a charity golf tournament, but says that he wanted to try something new and different, a unique project, and he’s thankful for having so much support around him.

“My parents have been great in helping me reach out to local businesses for sponsorship of the raffles and donations. Mr. Auth at CACTC has been great, also. He put a request out on the listserv at Cranston West for golfers to participate the tournament,” Macera said. “Everyone has been very supportive, helping out all along the way.”

Getting golfers to sign up has been Macera’s biggest challenge.

“I’ve been handing out fliers and some of my family members have been posting them, too, but we really need people to sign up to play golf,” he said.

The Falcons for the V Foundation Charity Golf Tournament will take place on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Cranston Country Club with registration beginning at 12:30 and golf starting at 1:30. The $100 fee includes golfing as well as dinner and the use of a golf cart.

Macera, who works at the Cranston Country Club is grateful to his employers for their support. 

“The people at Cranston Country Club have really helped me through this process of running a golf tournament. I’ve talked to Tom Palmer and Mike Lombardi a lot. I’ve watched other golf tournaments happening there just to get an idea of the process,” he said.

As the date for the tournament draws near, Macera is putting finishing details into his plans and he hopes for a successful day in honor of his aunt and of the V Foundation.

Golfers wishing to support Macera and the V Foundation by participating in the Falcons for the V Foundation Charity Golf Tournament on October 12 can contact Macera at jmasizzle1695@yahoo.com for registration information.