Carl Cappa

Carl Cappa
Carl Cappa was the President, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Crawford Furniture Manufacturing Corp. He first became involved with The Resource Center through his lifelong friend, the late Joe Caprino, whose son received services from TRC. Carl’s first mission of service to The Resource Center was to serve as Honorary Chairman of the agency’s 1989 Membership Drive. After TRC Foundation was founded in 1995, Carl decided to help get the new charity off the ground. He volunteered to serve on TRC Foundation’s Board of Directors, and in 1996 he helped organize a fund-raising dinner in honor of Joe Caprino.

The following year, Carl took his involvement to another level by establishing the Carl Cappa Golf Classic. Carl took it upon himself to make sure the event would be successful, and his personal touch, which included making telephone calls and paying visits to area businesses seeking sponsorships for the tournament, went a long way toward helping the inaugural Carl Cappa Golf Classic earn $52,000 for TRC Foundation. The Cappa Classic quickly became the most prestigious and successful one-day charity golf tournament in Southwestern New York, a status that continues to this day. With Carl at the helm, the Cappa Classic raised more than $330,000 above expenses in its first four years.

Carl passed away in May 2001. But the tournament that bears his name lives on. With the support of his wife, Catherine, and his family and friends, the Cappa Classic remains a prominent fixture among area golf tournaments. Carl’s son, Michael, assumed his father’s role as Honorary Chair of the tournament’s Steering Committee, and under his leadership the Carl Cappa Memorial Classic continues to thrive.

Carl also served as Chairman of TRC Foundation’s Board of Directors at the time of his death. Because of his tremendous support for people with disabilities, TRC’s administrative offices in Jamestown were renamed the Carl Cappa Building in a ceremony held shortly before Carl’s death.

Thanks to the success of the Carl Cappa Memorial Classic, TRC Foundation’s endowment today stands at more than $1.5 million. This has enabled the organization to award grants to support individuals with disabling conditions and their families in Chautauqua County.

In addition to his support of people with disabilities, Carl’s philanthropy extended to many other community organizations. He was a true champion, and he is sorely missed.

We hope you will join us at this year’s Carl Cappa Golf Classic for our annual salute to our beloved benefactor, the late Carl Cappa.