Coggins Classic Charity Golf Tournament Raises $55,123 for Bennington Little League

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Coggins Classic Charity Golf Tournament Raises $55,123 for Bennington Little League
 
Coggins Auto Group is proud to announce the successful conclusion of the Coggins Classic Charity Golf Tournament, which raised an impressive $55,123 to benefit the Bennington Little League. The event, held at the scenic Mount Anthony Country Club, was the largest in the tournament’s history, attracting 26 teams, 57 business sponsors, over 40 raffle donations, and a crowd of over 140 attendees.
 
"On behalf of the League, we want to thank the Bennington Community, including individuals and businesses that helped us exceed our goals.  The funds we have raised this year, and last, are going to help us finish our new indoor training facility.  This facility will have 4000 square feet of indoor turfed space that can be used for a large array of activities.  We as a league are excited to utilize the space but are excited to explore many other opportunities for other sports and programs as we move forward." - Geoff Metcalfe, Bennington Little League.
 
The tournament, which has been hosted at Mount Anthony Country Club for the last three years, featured a live performance by local favorite Carly Rogers and gathered substantial support from the community. The biggest sponsors for the event included Heritage Family Credit Union, Toyota, Kaman Composite, VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), 802 Plumbing and Heating, and ACV Auctions.
 
In a show of support, Toyota has generously pledged to match up to $10,000 of the tournament’s earnings, further enhancing the impact on the Bennington Little League.
 
"Our favorite part about this event is seeing the community come together to support causes that benefit local youth and families," said Valerie Harrington, Marketing Director for Coggins Auto Group and head of the Tournament Planning Committee. "At Coggins, we believe in reinvesting in the community that supports us. The money earned from selling and servicing vehicles goes right back into enriching the lives of families around us."
 
Coggins Auto Group begins accepting applications for the next charity recipient every year in mid-March. The chosen organization is selected through a community vote. Past beneficiaries have included the Sunrise Family Resource Center and the Bennington County Child Advocacy Center.
 
For more information about the Coggins Classic Charity Golf Tournament or to apply for next year’s recipient selection, please contact Valerie at Coggins Auto Group.




Parole Granted to Pittsfield Man Sentenced for Killing Toddler Son

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man serving a life sentence for killing his 2-year-old son 43 years ago has been granted parole. 
 
According to the Boston Globe, the Parole Board on Monday voted to release Richard N. Mayes Jr., 78, to a halfway house.
 
Mayes was charged with beating his son to death in 1983 when he wouldn't eat. The child, Lawrence Richon, had received blows to his head, body, arms and legs. Mayes also told police he'd hit his son four times with a plastic baseball bat. 
 
According to media reports at the time, Mayes tried to resuscitate Lawrence when he later collapsed and cried to police that he did it when arrested. 
 
The boy was taken by life flight to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he died from blood clots in his head. 
 
Mayes was found guilty of second-degree murder by a Superior Court jury and sentenced to life in state prison.
 
According to the Globe, Mayes had been denied parole five times previously but told the board he had been sober for three decades and had not had a disciplinary report in a dozen years. 
 
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