BROCKTON REALTOR® RECEIVES AWARD FOR YOUTH GOLF PROGRAM

Derito, a member of the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS® (GBAR) and an agent with Keller Williams Realty in South Easton, was honored June 24 with GBAR’s first-ever Good Neighbor Award. The award is modeled closely after that given by the National Association of REALTORS® and recognizes real estate professionals for their community activism. Recipients of the award, like Derito, have made an extraordinary commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities through volunteer work.

“I noticed that there weren’t many kids playing golf at my club nor did they know what the game was all about,” said Derito. “I just decided to put on some clinics and see how it went. And it turns out the kids very much did like it – especially the shyer kids who were afraid to play [rougher sports such as] hockey or football”

And the rest is history as they say. In 2006 Derito created the D.W. Field Golf Association for youth ages 12-16. In its two-year existence, the program has earned the endorsement of Brockton Mayor James Harrington, Brockton Youth Sports and the Brockton Recreation Department.

“Dan came to me sometime back with this idea to create a league for the kids, and clearly anything we can do to keep the kids busy and occupied is a good thing,” said Brockton Mayor James Harrington. “The sport of golf teaches kids about courtesy and respect – we’re all proud of what Dan has done.” Throughout the summer, Derito teaches kids the basic rules and fundamentals of golf, such as how to swing the club, the best golf grip and showing etiquette and courtesy to other players. Derito also stresses to the kids the fun aspect of golf and how to enjoy the natural surroundings of a course.

“All the kids have made new friends and their self-esteem has increased,” said Derito. “That’s measurable – you can see that.”

Derito credits much of the program’s success to John Mason of Brockton who caddied with Derito in the early 1960s. The two hadn’t seen one another for nearly 30 years until Mason brought his son Mike to D.W. Field in Brockton to participate in the program. Mike has participated in the program for several summers while John now helps run the program.

“Since the start of the program my son has earned his own junior membership. As a twelve-year-old to have his own tee time on the course is great. He can call up his friends and along they go. It [the program] allows kids to get on the course.”

Approximately 30-40 kids participate in the program each summer with about 100 participating since the program’s inception. Another 12-14 kids have since become members of D.W. golf course as well.

“I am very honored to receive GBAR’s Good Neighbor Award and am looking forward to another fun and productive program this summer,” said Derito. No doubt he will have fun swinging clubs, hitting golf balls and possibly teaching some future Tigers.

Organized in 1889, the Greater Boston Real Estate Board was chartered by the National Association of Realtors® in 1915. A voluntary trade organization with more than 7,500 members, the Greater Boston Association of Realtors® is the largest GBREB division, with over 5,500 members. The term Realtor® is registered as the exclusive trademark of members of the National Association of Realtors® who subscribe to a strict code of ethics.