Left to right: Rose Esposito of Shelton, Treasurer of DiMatteo Group; Sharon Closius, President/CEO of the Valley Community Foundation; Shaye A. Roscoe, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley; Loretta Lesko of Shelton, Vice President of DiMatteo Group; Lisa Savoid, Marketing and Development Director of the Boys & Girl Club; and Rob Lesko of Shelton, a partner in DiMatteo Group. Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut was also a recipient.
More than 120 golfers enjoyed a day of golf at Oronoque Country Club in Stratford and helped make a difference in the lives of others. The 12th Annual DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament was successfully organized by the DiMatteo Group in Shelton for the benefit of three local non-profits.
The DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation raised over $31,000 and the following area charities each received a $10,500 donation: the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley in Shelton, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut based in Trumbull, and Valley Community Foundation in Derby.
The foundation was established by the DiMatteo Group a dozen years ago as a tribute to Anthony “Tony” DiMatteo, their late father and company founder, who was battling cancer at the time.
“Our Family Foundation in conjunction with our Golf Tournament is committed to supporting organizations that benefit our family, clients and staff,” said John DiMatteo, President of the DiMatteo Group. “Since its inception over a decade ago, we have contributed over $304,000 for various well-known local and national charities that fund research, education and finding a cure for diseases.”
Founded over 57 years ago, this family-owned and operated business specializes in insurance, employee benefits, income tax and financial services. Giving back to the community is part of the company’s mission.
A committee of over 25 volunteers planned this annual golf tournament. The following volunteers deserve special recognition for volunteering more than five years: Shelton residents Lena DiMatteo, Rosemarie Esposito, Loretta Lesko, Robert Lesko, Natalie Lesko, Barbara Gelozin, Nancy Opitz, Karen Minopoli and Maureen Yash; Bethany residents John DiMatteo, Kim DiMatteo, Jesse DiMatteo, and Michael DiMatteo; Maria Rodrigues of Milford, Sue Doolan of Orange, Genie Tricarico of Seymour, Debbie Bobela of Monroe, and Maryann Pincheon of Florida and Milford.
Many area companies and business associates of DiMatteo Group contributed to the tournament as sponsors. Top gold sponsors included: Liberty Mutual Insurance, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, the DiMatteo Group and Craig and Kari Shapero of Washington, D.C. Park City Ford of Bridgeport was the hole-in-one sponsor.
At the silver sponsor level, the following generous sponsors were: 3PL Worldwide, Inc., Commonwealth Cares Fund, Inc., Acadia Insurance, Selective Insurance, CATIC, Inc., Viglione Heating & Cooling, Inc., Preferred Tool & Die, Inc., and Hartford Insurance.
In addition, for over a decade, Steve Geremia from Safelite AutoGlass in Bridgeport has organized a “Hit the Windshield” putting contest on the day of the tournament and donates the prize and the proceeds.
John DiMatteo added, “Due to the community’s overwhelming generosity, this annual event is the major source of funding for our Family Foundation. We want to personally thank all our friends, family and customers who have contributed to a total of 13 local charities our tournament has supported over the past 12 years.”
The golf tournament has previously supported the following nonprofits: Project Purple, National Kidney Foundation, the Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services, The Kennedy Center, St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services, St. Vincent’s SWIM Across the Sound, Juvenile Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Spooner House, Homes for the Brave Female Soldiers/Forgotten Heroes, and MovingWithHOPE.
DiMatteo Group continues to maintain its foundation of integrity, personalized service and treating others as an extension of the family. “We have successfully transitioned the business from our parents and founders to the second generation with three siblings and two spouses, each of whom manages a key department,” said John DiMatteo.
Three siblings serve as officers of the company. John DiMatteo of Bethany, President, specializes in financial planning and works with his wife, Kim DiMatteo, a partner in the business. Loretta Lesko of Shelton, the second youngest sibling, serves as Vice President, and is in charge of Operations, while her husband Robert Lesko is a partner. In addition, Rosemarie Esposito of Shelton, the eldest sibling, is the agency’s Treasurer, an Enrolled Agent and manages DiMatteo Group – Tax & Accounting Services LLC. View www.dimatteogrp.com for more information
