Sep 14, 2006 By Frances Borsodi Zajac 7 min read

FARMINGTON – “This is it,’ smiles Pete Stefancin as the PGA Tour’s 84 Lumber Classic Golf Tournament is about to begin. Perhaps an emotional occasion as this is the final year for the event at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, but Stefancin remains upbeat. He’s had a great experience as chairman of the locker room committee and has used the tips given to the volunteers by the pros at the Falling Rock locker room to donate thousands of dollars to charity.

“That’s what I’m going to miss the most,’ said Stefancin, of Hopwood, who is a fifth-grade teacher at Hatfield Elementary School in the Laurel Highlands School District. “In the three previous years, we’ve given over $22,000 to the charities. It comes from all the volunteers, not just those in the locker room. We do happen to be the people who get the tips. I feel bad it’s going to end because Roberto Clemente said if you have the opportunity to do something and you don’t, you’re wasting your time. I had the opportunity to do it and the guys in the locker room were behind it. You might say this was from the locker room but there are 1,200 volunteers up here and all of them are working as hard as anybody. It’s from them.’

In the first year of the tournament, the locker room committee donated to UPMC Children’s Hospital. The second year, they split their gift between Uniontown Hospital Pediatrics Department and the western Pennsylvania chapter of the ALS Association. Last year, funding went to Uniontown Hospital Pediatrics Department and Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C., for children with chronic medical conditions and those who are seriously ill. This year, all funds are going to Uniontown Hospital Pediatrics Department.

“We won’t know how much they will receive until Gary Macioce (of Uniontown Hospital) and I meet and I hand him over the check,’ said Stefancin.

Making it possible is this year’s locker room volunteers, who include Gary Stefancin of Virginia Beach, Va., Bernie Cavanaugh of Reston, Va., Matt Kovell of Pittsburgh, Dennis Lowe of Vandergrift, Bernie Wydo of Uniontown, Joe LaPresta of Uniontown, Aaron Scott of Farmington, Don Keener of Masontown, and Scott Keener of Pittsburgh.

“Most of the guys have been with me for four years,’ said Stefancin. “They know what I’m thinking and they get ahead of me. It’s nice when you have guys in there who know what’s going on.’

But even first-time volunteers such as Kovell, who is a New Salem native, are feeling the excitement and stepping right in.

“Pete asked me to help out. He’s had nothing but good things to say about this,’ said Kovell, who works at Mellon Bank in downtown Pittsburgh and is volunteering six days at the tournament.

The locker room hours are divided into two shifts: 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to close, which is about 8 p.m. Some volunteers are working as many as seven shifts. They volunteer depending on their work schedules. Stefancin gets to the locker room about 5:30 a.m. and stays to the end, working all week long.

The volunteers shine shoes, change spikes, and make sure laundry is done. “Pretty much whatever the PGA needs, we’re there,’ said Stefancin.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were their busiest days with manufacturer representatives coming in to take care of the players. Monday and Wednesday were also busy with pro-ams.

“It slows down when they go to work on Thursday,’ Stefancin said of the players. “It gets quiet because it’s their job and they are going to work.’

Stefancin added, “A lot of them have already expressed ‘It’s too bad we can’t come back. It’s been great.’ Rory Sabbatini said he will miss it and he’s glad we came back for the last time. He’s been here all four years. We talked about how things have changed from a locker room in a tent to this building. We have a good field again. Jason Gore is here. His smile lights up a room. John Daly and Michelle Wie are here. Michelle will have the women’s locker room to herself. She has a butler assigned to her so I don’t know if I will even see her.’

Does Stefancin have fond memories of working with the pros?

“To a man, every one of them has been great,’ he said. “They’re human. They don’t act bigger than life. They just have a job to do and it happens to be golf. They’re very understanding. Our first year we made lots of mistakes. They said, ‘Don’t worry. It’s your first year.’ Now they say, ‘Don’t worry. It’s you’re last year.’ I couldn’t say anything bad about any one of them. They’re great.’

Even Kovell can tell that right away, saying, “They’re very nice, very approachable. They’re always willing to greet you and talk to you. They have nothing but good things to say. They’re sad it’s the last year. They always like coming here.’

The pros have also enjoyed visiting the local community and Stefancin has referred many of them to local establishments.

“A lot of them like to try restaurants in town and I have sent them to just about every local restaurant in Uniontown. They like the local flavor of Uniontown – restaurants on Main Street and some off the side. The caddies also go downtown. I frequent all the restaurants and I tell them where to go. They’ve gone to many restaurants – not only the pros and caddies but the public that travels through,’ Stefancin said. “It’s not a sad day but it will be different when the tournament’s not around anymore. It was something the whole tri-state area looked forward to. It will be packed Thursday with people coming to see Michelle Wie and Saturday and Sunday because people wanting to see the tournament.’

He continued, “Brian Anderson, the superintendent of turf management, has the greens looking great. If they get soft, it will be an interesting tournament. If they’re hard, it will be more interesting. These guys can shoot at anything. That’s why they play on the weekend for money and we play on the weekend for $2 Nassaus. The security is great. They make it easier for everybody. Pros can come in and know they’re safe. Captain Ron Kozak – he’s good. Nobody gets by him.’

Stefancin remembered when the 84 Lumber Classic was just being pulled together.

“I think back four years ago when Dello Nese, the head professional, asked me if I wanted to do the locker room and I said sure, if we could give the money to charity,’ he said, then pointed to the individuals who have offered support: “Tom Baxter was with me. Dave Kerr – he’s vice chairman of player services. He does a great job and I wouldn’t work for anyone else. If Dave can’t do it, it goes to Tom and if Tom can’t do it, nobody can. Dennis Clark, director of golf for the last two years, gets whatever I need and he’s been great. I’m going to miss a lot of people. Twenty years ago, who’d have thought Fayette County would have something of this magnitude? And I have to thank my wife, Cheryl. I left the house at 5:15 p.m. this morning and said “I’ll see you Sunday when you come up for the tournament. For seven days, she’s on vacation because I’m not around.’

Of course, there’s the founders of the tournament.

“Joe and Maggie – they have been great to everybody. I don’t have to tell you what they’ve done for the city and the tournament,’ Stefancin said. “Some day it’s going to be back – at least we hope so.’