The History of Our Memorial Golf Outing

We, the members of the Myrtle Beach Never Forget Memorial Golf Outing (MBNFMGO) thank you for your support and for teaching us that our beliefs were correct. Tradition, Honor and Brotherhood is the only way ...Thank You!

The Memorial Golf Outing will always embody the spirit and memory of Alfred Ronaldson, and beginning in 2002 we extended invitations to all of the Alfred Ronaldson's of the world. This event is dedicated to you - our Brothers.

In May of '02, we hosted our first Memorial Golf Outing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We welcomed firefighters and friends from around the country to join us celebrating the lives of firefighters no longer with us and the brotherhood we all share.

The event has continued to get better with each passing year, and as more firefighters join the pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach. The fun and excitement of the outing has surpassed what the Tournament Committee envisioned five years ago. This event has become a celebration of our brotherhood...

In May of 1992 The Alfred E. Ronaldson Spring Golf Classic started in Orange County, New York. It expanded and grew for ten years and became the "World's Largest Golf Outing". May 2001 was our 10th and final year and over 1,500 golfers attended.

The "Ronaldson" became the pride and joy of the FDNY. Each year it produced more stories and antics than we could list... - in short it was fun! It was dubbed "The Woodstock of Golf". This event wasn't your country club outing. Sounds of Led Zeppelin filled the air along with the smell of steaks on the grill.

In memory of Alfred Ronaldson we hosted the event for 10 years. Alfred was a member of Rescue 3 in the Bronx and died January of 1991. Al was one of the greatest people you could have ever known, in short he was a fireman. He left behind a family of 5 children and his wife Kim. She is our supporter and our reason to continue.

The final event was held in May of 2001 with 14 courses and 1700 golfers! On stage with well over 2500 firefighters at the Picnic I welcomed everyone to the final Alfred E Ronaldson wich was met with very loud boooo’s. They all started to chant "Four more years, Four more years". I calmed them down and told them we had a reason to end the event and to everyone's surprise, I introduced "For the first time, please welcome Firefighter ALFRED E. RONALDSON". Al's son was sworn in that day to the FDNY!

Just 4 months after our final "Ronaldson" September 11th happened. The world changed. In the months that followed September 11th our members struggled to hold themselves together. We, as firefighters, now had to deal with our families. We received little guidance from our leaders and chose to follow the path of Tradition, Honor and Brotherhood.

This path was not easy but we remained dedicated to its course. With 343 funerals, services and memorials to attend, we did our best. The one thing that we didn't expect was YOU. The world of Firefighters came to our side. You came to attend our funerals and in the end you helped us get through this

A New Beginning... As the 10 years of the 9/11 FDNY golf came to an end, the spirit and camaraderie that been formed over the past 20 years would and ill not end. So, the tradition continues on. We hope that you and others will continue to make the pilgrimage to myrtle beach to honor those who have passed on.

We have adopted the Firefighters Cancer Support Network. The FCSN was a grass root organization started in Los Angeles to help firefighters. Their mission is to provide Fire Department members and their families with an opportunity to receive assistance when dealing with cancer. They also offer education to every fire firefighter regarding the importance of cancer screening and early detection. They promote awareness that cancer does not have to be dealt with alone; together we can make a difference.