Marcellus Utica Gas Annual Golf Scramble Benefits The Village Network and Its Mission to Help Children and Families
Annual Rodney Sparks Memorial Golf Scramble supports behavioral health services across Ohio and West Virginia
WOOSTER, Ohio — Proceeds from the Marcellus Utica Gas Foundation’s Annual Rodney Sparks Memorial Golf Scramble are helping The Village Network continue its work supporting children and families impacted by behavioral health challenges across Ohio and into West Virginia.
The annual fundraiser, held in July at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, brings together industry partners and supporters for two days of golf, networking and community engagement. The Village Network CEO Rich Graziano and members of the organization’s leadership team participated in this year’s event, celebrating a partnership that helps strengthen the communities both organizations serve.
“We are grateful to Marcellus Utica Gas and its sponsors for choosing The Village Network as a beneficiary of this year’s fundraiser,” said Rich Graziano, CEO of The Village Network. “This generosity helps support our mission of building brighter futures for children and families who are navigating behavioral health challenges. Every child deserves the opportunity to heal, grow and reach their potential, and partnerships like this help us continue providing the care and support families need.”
Founded in 2015, the Marcellus Utica Gas Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors and supported by companies in the energy industry. Through its events and charitable giving, the foundation promotes responsible practices in the oil and natural gas industry, supports local charitable organizations and invests in the communities where its members work and live across Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The Annual Rodney Sparks Memorial Golf Scramble is the foundation’s signature event, held on the second Thursday of July each year at Oglebay Resort. The event honors Rodney Sparks, one of the foundation’s founding members, who died at age 60 following a battle with cancer. A Wooster, Ohio, resident, Sparks worked as an operations manager for Worthington Industries. Each year, the foundation selects a nonprofit organization in Ohio, Pennsylvania or West Virginia to receive proceeds raised during the two-day event. Activities include a practice round and the Annual MUG Mixer, which offers dinner and opportunities for industry