Friends’ small Canton golf outing grows into uplifting Make-A-Wish event

What do you get when you combine a group of big-hearted golf lovers, an innovative outing format, a massive list of generous sponsors and an opportunity to send kids with life-threatening illnesses to Disney World every year?

Answer: The Cobb Cup, a 16-year-old event held at Canton’s Pheasant Run Golf Course that has raised over $100,000 for Make-A-Wish children.

Cobb Cup founder Aaron Grusecki, a resident of Garden City and a popular bartender at Canton’s Buffalo Wild Wings for the past 18 years, said he never would have believed back in 2008 that the inaugural outing he started with seven friends would grow to a field of 144 golfers in 2023 (it will be scaled back to 120 golfers this year to speed up the pace of play, Grusecki revealed).

“The first year the eight of us organized the event was a Ryder Cup year in golf, so we thought we’d put together a two-golfers-per-team event that mirrored the Ryder Cup format,” Grusecki recounted. “We played 36 holes — nine being alternate shot, nine a two-person scramble, and the other 18 holes normal scoring.

Traveling trophy

“We bought a trophy that the winners would get to keep until the next year. If you would have told me back then that this outing would grow like it has, I would have said, ‘What!?‘”

Grusecki said there were no plans to turn the event into a fund-raiser during the inaugural outing.

“We were just doing it to have fun,” he said.

In 2011, Grusecki’s beloved aunt, Belleville resident Kathy Grusecki, passed away after a valiant battle with cancer.

Tribute to beloved aunt

“My aunt Kathy was very tight with myself and my sisters, so we decided to dedicate the Cobb Cup to her,” said Grusecki, who explained that proceeds raised from the since-expanded 2012 Cup were donated to the American Cancer Society.

“My aunt was a Disney freak — her and her family would visit Disney World once or twice every year — and she absolutely loved kids, so I asked my mom, ‘What if we started sponsoring a Make-A-Wish child?’

“After talking to Make-A-Wish, we learned that you needed $5,000 to sponsor a child, which we thought may be a little bit more than we could raise.”

To overcome that hurdle, Grusecki and his friends launched a winter bowling fundraiser, which, paired with proceeds from the golf event, raised the $5,000 needed to send a Make-A-Wish child to Disney World.

As the years rolled on, friends (and friends of friends) of Grusecki heard about the amazing golf event, and before he knew it, 144 golfers were competing for the coveted Cobb Cup trophy.

Twist of fate

“This never would have happened if my aunt Kathy had not died of cancer,” Grusecki said. “I’ve always been someone who strongly believes that if you can turn a negative into a positive, do it.

“I truly believe in my heart that if my aunt would have known her tragic death would have led to us helping so many kids with life-threatening illnesses, she wouldn’t have changed anything. She would be so incredibly happy.”

Grusecki and his core team of organizers — Elliot Washburn, Jennelle Granz, Jayden Faitel and Jillian Granz — spiced up the outing with some fun-themed perks.

“My grandpa, who has since passed away, was a sharp dresser, especially when he golfed,” Grusecki said. “So we came up with a best-dressed trophy we hand out every year.”

Grusecki’s late dad Mike is honored at the first hole, which has been tagged “The Michael Grusecki Fireball Hole”. Golfers pay respects to Mike Grusecki by downing a shot of Fireball before their tee shot on the first.

Funds are raised through a variety of ways, including hole sponsors and a post-outing raffle at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Sweet swag

Each golfer receives a goodie bag filled with sweet swag, including a poker chip/ball marker and a sleeve of balls.

“We let the winners of each Cobb Cup pick the two colors we use the next year for flyers and other items,” Grusecki said. “This year’s colors are green and yellow because last year’s winners are hunters. I told them that color combination gives off more of an Irish vibe than a hunting one, but they kept them because one of the winners is Irish.”

Cobb Cup golfers do not leave the post-golf get-together at Buffalo Wild Wings hungry. They are greeted prior to the 8 a.m. shotgun start with a continental breakfast thanks to donations from Tim Horton’s.

They are greeted after their 36-hole round by subs and other food items donated by Jersey Mike’s Subway and Potbelly.

B-Dubs for dinner

And Buffalo Wild Wings donates enormous amounts of food for the post-golf get-together.

“We’ve also been fortunate enough to have some of the children we’ve sponsored attend the get-together at Buffalo Wild Wings, which is cool because the golfers get a chance to meet the families they’re impacting,” Grusecki added.

One way non-golfers can help the fundraiser is showing the ticket pictured below to their server on Wednesday, July 24, at the BWW located at 41980 Ford Road in Canton. By doing so, Buffalo Wild Wings will donate 20% of their total bill to the Cobb Cup fundraiser.

Grusecki and his team of organizers are coming up with new ideas every year.

“This event has gotten bigger than I could have ever imagined,” Grusecki added. “But I think it can get even bigger. I really want to make this a huge community event and get more businesses involved.

“That’s my goal: to make this a huge community even and raise a lot of money for what I think is the best charity out there.”

Aunt Kathy would be proud.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.