State Sen. Bill Galvano was ecstatic last weekend as the signature golf tournament honoring his father Phil Galvano, celebrated its 25th Anniversary at the Longboat Key Club.
The event kicked off Friday morning with a first on Longboat Key. Nik Wallenda, “The King of the High Wire,” enthralled guests as he walked a cable stretched between the rooftops at the Longboat Key Club’s Inn on the Beach.
Later in the afternoon after the first round of golf, Gov. Ron DeSantis mingled with guests under a tent at the Islandside Golf Course. The annual event is personal for Galvano, which was started in 1996, in honor of his father, Phil Galvano, Sr.
Phil Galvano was known as “a golf professional to the stars” who taught well known personalities such as Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason, Tony Bennett and Johnny Carson.
But Phil Galvano was also dedicated to the youth of Manatee County. Year after year, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of the Manatee Education Foundation, and this year is no exception.
“I’m amazed by the outpouring of support year after year. Also, the Longboat Key Club treats everyone like family, and it is near and dear to my heart because it is in honor of my father who was a product of our public school system,” said former Senate President Bill Galvano.
