Golfers Turn Out For Annual Michael McDermott Fundraiser

More than 150 golfers enjoyed an unexpected day of sunshine during Thursday's 11th annual Michael McDermott golf outing at Blue Hill Golf Course in Pearl River.  The fundraiser has collected more than $150,000 which has been distributed for Nanuet High School student-athlete scholarships and non profit organizations including People to People, Camp Venture, the Special Olympics, and Center for HOPE. The fundraiser is held in memory of Michael McDermott, a 2000 graduate of Nanuet High School, who died in July 2002.

Scholarship recipient Michael Buhlmann went to the post-event dinner and award ceremony at the Hibernian House in Pearl River to thank Michael’s parents, Daniel and Kathleen for the presentation. He was selected for scholarship because he shares Michael McDermott’s attributes of being a student-athlete. Buhlmann, 17, told the McDermotts the $4,000 scholarship will have far reaching benefits because he plans to become a physical therapist. 

Buhlmann of Nanuet will attend Mount Saint Vincent College in September with a major in biology and a goal of earning a doctorate in physical therapy.  Buhlmann's athletic resume includes receiving four varsity letters in wrestling and being a four time section place, 2012 All Section, three time all conference, three time all division winner in wrestling and three time New York State Scholar Athlete.

Buhlmann has been a wrestler since the third grade a sport he said he "got serious" about in seventh grade when he and his friends and teammates made a pact to become collegiate athletes.  Buhlmann had played football and baseball but he left football to focus on wrestling and had to stop playing baseball because seizures hampered his ability to perform as a catcher.

Buhlmann volunteers most weekends to help train youngsters about workouts, nutrition and health.  He frequently volunteers at the Yonkers Charter School of Educational Excellence.  His grandfather trained the school's trainer who is now training and mentoring Buhlmann.  In lieu of payment for the training, Buhlmann was asked to volunteer his time.

Buhlmann has overcome major losses in his life. This year his father passed away and when he was 16 his grandfather died.  In 2008, his neighbor and friend, Connor Corish, died in a tragic accident on the train tracks.  Buhlmann received this year’s Connor Corish Memorial Scholarship.  In addition to the $1,500 Conor Corish scholarship, in May Buhlmann received one of the Third Annual Dan Sullivan Foundation Scholarships of $1,000.