Ward's Words: CJ Morgan Foundation Golf Outing
On Monday Aug 30, the CJ Morgan Foundation hosted the 3rdAnnual CJ Morgan Memorial Golf Outing – bringing together hundreds of friends and family for an event that honors the life CJ lived, the impact he had on others, and ensures his legacy is kept alive. Rock Springs Golf Club in West Orange, NJ was a fantastic host and the committee that organized the event did an incredible job. CJ’s high school coach, Steph Zichella, deserves so much credit for pulling the event together and making sure it runs smoothly. And I absolutely have to mention how amazing Chris and April Morgan are. Without question, they are two of the most incredible people you could ever meet. The grace with which they handle themselves and the way they host their friends for the Golf Outing is nothing short of remarkable. Their warm smiles are always followed up with even warmer hugs – they make EVERYONE feel like family. Just like CJ did.
And it’s why a couple hundred people, many of whom never personally met CJ, came out to the event to raise money for the scholarship named in his honor. And that’s why I’ll keep this reflection short and to the point – it simply felt good to be able to celebrate CJ’s life. It goes without saying that everyone who participated would rather not have to be there. We know the Morgan family has had plenty of tough days and more tough days will come. But the Morgan family and the CJ Morgan Foundation made sure the golf outing was a celebration of all the positive things CJ brought to our lives. When it could be easy to dwell on the bad, they chose to celebrate the good – just like CJ did every day.
Making a choice to be positive, finding good things to celebrate when times are tough, and trying to be a light for other people when they need it most takes an incredible amount of courage. So I am incredibly grateful for the Morgan family for working so hard to keep CJ’s legacy alive. Because CJ was that shining light we all needed, he was always the most positive guy in the room, and he was the best teammate anyone ever had. So, to me, the golf outing is another reminder to all of us that we should strive to impact the lives of people around us the way CJ did. I’m inspired to look for (and find!) all the good things around us. And I hope that if you’re reading this you will also be inspired to make the world a little bit better today. Go out of your way to make someone smile, decide to be the most positive person in the room, and if someone asks you why you are in such a good mood today, use it as an opportunity to tell them about CJ. It’s an honor to keep his legacy alive!
For more information on the CJ Morgan Foundation, visit: https://cjmorganfoundation.org/
