Juniper Hills Scores $1,085 For Soldiers' Families

Helicopter pilot Matt Macaruso dropped 217 golf balls from 50 feet above Northborough's Juniper Hills Golf Course on Saturday.

The event scored $1,085 for educational scholarships for children and spouses of soldiers who have become disabled or killed in action, Juniper Hills General Manager Dudley Darling said.

Juniper Hills' seventh Helicopter Ball Drop for the Folds of Honor Foundation drew a small audience to watch Macaruso drop the numbered golf balls from above the Riverside first fairway.

The balls cost entrants $10 each for a shot at splitting the pot with the foundation by landing in the cup. The owners of the balls landing closest to the pin received a cap and a T-shirt, Darling said.

The pot was $2,170, he said. The foundation received $1,085. Three people shared in the other $1,085 because their entries landed in the cup: Ashby Richardson, Wayne Horridge and Janet Goldman.

Earning a cap and a shirt were Joe Jenkins and Dave Peddle Jr.

Afterward, the kids in the crowd ran onto the fairway to pick up the golf balls.

The fundraiser was scheduled in conjunction with Juniper Hills' Patriot Golf Day weekend, Darling said.

However, weather issues postponed the helicopter drop until Saturday, he said.