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Added: July 12, 2007, 1:41 pm	Share    Print    Email

For the past eight years, Quogue resident Jane Pontarelli, an avid golfer, has chaired the "Play for P.I.N.K." Golf Tournament fundraiser at The Hampton Hills Golf and Country Club in Westhampton. Pontarelli, is the ideal candidate for such a charity as this big as life, tell-it-like-it-is woman who hob-nobs with the likes of Hillary Clinton, Tony Bennett, Joan Rivers, Laura Bush, Celine Dion and Cardinal O'Connor is able to reign in all their wallets when it comes to a cause dear to her.

It was only nine years ago she took to the greens with her husband of 32 years Joseph, a construction and real estate executive, who as a kid was a caddy and a golfer himself...but work got in the way as did their passion for boating. Now that they have the time, Joe went back to golfing and became hooked again. Scoring an 83 the first day back. "I loved it immediately," Jane Pontarelli exclaimed in a voice like an opera singer, rich in octaves and emotion. "And I said to my husband, 'I'm going to have a golf tournament for cancer.' He said, 'You know nothing about golfing.' I told him...I know,
'but you do and you're going to help me.' He said okay." And in cleats, she took off running to research the perfect charity for the event.

"I used golf to raise money for breast cancer and its made golf more important to me," she admitted. "I have the means to an end. The way I look at it is my life's over---if I can do this I'm a winner. That's why I do it. I don't want any women to go through the misery I did."

Ironically, in 1999 Pontarelli was herself diagnosed with breast cancer. "Cancer wasn't in my vocabulary. There was no history in my family on either side. And then I got it. Nobody is immune to it. To some women there life is over---their fiancé or husband leaves them. Never mind what the chemo does making you infertile. I've seen lives ravaged...it makes you want to work harder," the outgoing powerhouse said.

Laura Lassman founded Play for P.I.N.K. [Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge] 11 years ago in Alpine, N. J., which benefits the Evelyn Lauder Breast Cancer Research Foundation (a non-for-profit founded by Lauder). Pontarelli met Lauder many years ago and says she's her idol. "She founded this organization in 1993 and thought someday we'll be out of business...but we're not. She's my role model, and a wonderful, real person with no pretenses. If she can fit it in her busy life...then I can too."

Celebrating their eighth tournament, Pontarelli and Betsy Green founded P.I.N.K. Golf Tournaments at Hampton Hills Golf and Country Club. "The tournament is special to me because I created a camaraderie and awareness at my club, and women love to play in it. It's a scene---I make it a party," Pontarelli muses with a wide smile and a belt of delightful laughter. So grab your PING clubs, caddy and visor, and get your nine-iron, putters and drivers spit-shined, because on Thursday, August 9th the outing is on.

Pontarelli is no stranger to philanthrophy, she has chaired and raised much needed funds for several charities including: The Child Developing Center of the Hamptons, Mothers Voices, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. Ponterelli has received several awards recognizing her work: in 2004 "The Woman Who Makes A Difference" award was presented to her by The Little Flower Children Services of New York, and 2005 "The Star Award" from The Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County.

Born and raised in New York, Pontarelli holds an undergraduate and graduate degrees from Marymount Manhattan College and NYU. She and her husband have homes in Quogue, New York City and Palm Beach, and says, her involvement in P.I.N.K. tournaments has affected her so, that it's given her more steam to trudge on. "I feel I am on the right road. We have 140 clubs across the US...but I make the most money for them," she sarcastically clucks in Don Rickels type humor. Mayor Bloomberg stepped up to the hole as the title sponsor, as well as The Estée Lauder Companies and Wilson Sporting Goods.

Since 1996, with approximately 14,000 participants, P.I.N.K. has raised $10,000,000 million dollars for breast cancer research. Pontarelli is the elected ladies golf chairperson at Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach County. And sits on the Advisory Board's of The Evelyn Lauder Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the New York City Women's Group, which benefits Little Flower Children Services of New
York.

Helping underprivileged children is also a cause that's dear to her heart. "Kids need so much," she explained. Pontarelli became involved with the Little Flower charities 22 years ago, because of Monsignor John Fagan. And that's how she met Susan Lucci. "I was inspired by him. He said, 'You don't have to be a mother to take care of children.' I was impressed by the work they do for families in crisis. Susan and I are both extremely dedicated to their efforts to care for children."

Four years ago the Pontarelli's lost their last parent. In an 18-month period her parents and his, had died. When she woke from the grief and loss, she realized they never stopped to have children. So she threw herself further into charity work. "Whatever charities are dear to my heart...are dear to my friends pocketbooks," she jested. "So when someone like Fagan is giving their whole life...I give a little piece of myself."

Pontarelli strongly advises to do your research before handing over any donations. She recommends visiting the web site Charity Navigator before you write a check. "Ask a lot of questions as if you're buying a car," she recommends. "When in doubt go to the web site and find out how they rank as charities. Do they do what they're suppose to be doing with the money to help the causes? They should be fiscally responsible. And only a fraction should be going to administration costs."

The Evelyn Lauder Breast Cancer Research Foundation receives 100 percent of the proceeds from Play for P.I.N.K. They support the research of nearly a dozen distinguished doctors working around the country on Cancer Research by using a portion of the $2,000,000 raised just this year. Lauder nor Pontarelli take a salary, but many charity directors do so, some earning as much as $500,000 a year. Charity isn't meant to be a lucrative business like corporate America.

In 2001, Pontarelli and her white Maltese, (the late) "Lulu", became the society editors of, "The Palm Beach Pet Society" which is a who's who of the pet world. Annually they publish a glossy coffee table book of pets dressed in couture or dripping in jewels from Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels or Chopard, riding in a Porsche with D & G sunglasses, or around the pool in their birthday suit. Throughout the pages, pet lovers pay homage to the beautiful creatures that share their bed, or lick their cone. While others mourning the furry faces that have gone onto the doggy camp in the sky. Pontarelli expanded its circulation by bringing it to the Hamptons and NYC. All the proceeds from the sale of the book go to local pet charities.

Pontarelli champions three types of charities; "Children, because they're the beginning of life and our future. Cancer, because it's a tragic part of life and that's what's killing us. And animals because they make you happy." Last year, LuLu at age 17 passed away. "She was dressed better than most people," she said of her ageless pooch in white. "LuLu greatly enhanced my life---my dog made me famous."

With all the giving Pontarelli does for others who cares for her, "Me. I don't expect to be taken care of. When it comes down to it, no one can make you happy but you. My husband is so supportive---he should leave me. I don't know how he puts up with me. I wouldn't put up with me. He's obviously had good breading," she ended in dramatic fashion. And hopes her legacy will be, 'I did a job and did it well.'

July 21st is a summer party at Larondes Beach Club in WHB - Aug. 9th Play for P.I.N.K. at Hampton Hills begins at 8:30 a.m. - Oct. 16th there's a Breast Cancer Research Foundation luncheon at The Waldorf Astoria in NYC. Jane Pontarelli can be contacted at 917-679-9433.

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R. B. Stuart is an author, freelance writer, and columnist whose first love is poetry and letters. She specializes in human interest stories, artist profiles, essays, and memoir. In her two blogs she attempts to quench her search for truth: http://writingsbyrbstuart.blogspot.com and http://sistersoldier.blogspot.com. She can be contacted by email at rbsnywriter@hotmail.com.