24th Annual Carolyn Pistolesi Memorial Golf Tournament raises over $10K for Gouverneur Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fund

by Rachel Hunter

The 24th Annual Carolyn Pistolesi Memorial Golf Tournament was held at the Gouverneur Country Club on Sunday, September 7. Over $10,000 was raised in support of the Gouverneur Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fund.

Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall Carolyn Pistolesi passed away on September 11, 2022, after a brief but courageous battle with ovarian cancer—a loss that rippled through the North Country like a tremor. To her family, friends, and the countless lives she touched, Carolyn was more than beloved; she was a quiet force of hope and healing. As a founding member of the Gouverneur Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fund, she didn’t just help create it—she became its soul. Inspired by the loss of her dear friend Donna Weldon in 2000, Carolyn spent over two decades ensuring that no one in her community faced cancer alone.

Her life was a testament to service—not out of obligation, but out of love. Carolyn was woven into the fabric of her town, a steady, radiant presence whose warmth and fierce devotion never wavered. As a mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, she carried love like a lantern, lighting the way for others in their darkest hours. She had a rare gift: she truly saw people. And she showed up—for hundreds of families facing the fear, uncertainty, and financial strain of cancer—with compassion, action, and quiet resolve. Carolyn’s legacy lives not only in the fund she helped build, but in the lives she lifted, the burdens she eased, and the light she left behind. This year’s tournament was not just a fundraiser, but a celebration of Carolyn’s legacy. Every swing, every raffle ticket, every dollar raised continued the work she started. The fund she helped build has now supported over 1,000 individuals and raised more than $2 million since its inception.

To honor Carolyn’s memory, the community gathered not just to play golf, but to remember a woman who turned grief into grace, and compassion into action. The tournament served as a living tribute—a way to say thank you, and to carry her light forward.

It is estimated that about 100 golfers were in attendance. The 2025 Carolyn Pistolesi Memorial Golf Tournament included raffles, food, and fun for all. Allison McAdam of Gouverneur won the $500 Princess House shopping spree, which was donated by Connie Stowell of Gouverneur.

The 2025 Carolyn Pistolesi Memorial Golf Tournament received support from the Gouverneur community through event and hole sponsorships, donations for the raffle table and more. Much gratitude was extended to the following sponsors: Kinney Drugs Foundation, Pistolesi Rentals, DI Bush Fuels, Ken and April Lebrecque, Gouverneur Savings and Loan, Sweet Creations by Lindsey, American Legion Post 65, St. Lawrence River Real Estate, ENI Mechanical, Squally Towne, County Seat Realty, Lekki, Hill, Duprey and Whitton, The Blackburn Family, RipIt Girls, Laura Carbone and Patti Vesconti, Pamela Whitton, Northland Veterinary, Gouverneur Teachers Association, Jack and Brenda Wolak, Mrs. Beasley’s, Frank and Michele Lallier, Spilman Family, Riutta Chiropractic, and BCS Landscaping, among others.

The Gouverneur Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fund extended gratitude to GBOCF Committee Member Connie Stowell for her fundraising efforts every year.

The 2025 Gouverneur Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fund Walk will take place on Saturday, October 4 in the Gouverneur Village Park. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m., with the ceremony at 10 a.m., and the one-mile non-competitive walk stepping off at 10:30 a.m. The Gouverneur Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fund’s mission is to address the financial needs of individuals living in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, and Franklin Counties, who have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer throughout their treatment and recovery. To learn more about the Gouverneur Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fund or the 2025 Walk, visit gouverneurbreastovariancancerfund.com.

The 25th Annual Carolyn Pistolesi Memorial Golf Tournament promises to rise to new heights in 2026—bigger in spirit, richer in tradition, and more unforgettable than ever before. To learn how to help, call Connie Stowell at 315-771-3581.