PALM COAST, Fla. – For Vera DiBitetto, the annual Mezzaluna Golf Tournament is about much more than a day on the course. It is about making sure local children wake up on Christmas morning with something to celebrate.

Now marking its 10th anniversary, the Mezzaluna Golf Tournament benefiting Christmas Come True is preparing for another year of golf, giving and community support — and organizers are inviting golfers, sponsors and donors to get involved.

DiBitetto has supported Christmas Come True founder Nadine King and her mission for years, driven by a soft spot for children and families struggling financially.

“I’ve been doing that for, as long as I know Nadine, 20 years,” DiBitetto said. “And we started doing the golf thing because there’s so many people with no money. And to see a kid not have toys on Christmas, it breaks my heart.”

That passion extends to a circle of friends who have made supporting the organization a tradition of their own. DiBitetto said one friend, Donna, organizes a group of tennis players at Hammock Beach who purchase and donate 14 to 15 bicycles.

“They go buy them themselves, they bring them here, they put them under this tree,” DiBitetto said.

At the center of it all is King, who founded Christmas Come True in 2009 to bring comfort and joy to Flagler County families facing difficult circumstances.

Asked what makes King and her work so special, DiBitetto pointed to her dedication.

“Just for what she does,” she said. “She does all this work for free.”

A Decade on the Course

This year’s tournament marks a milestone — the 10th annual Mezzaluna Golf Tournament benefiting Christmas Come True.

Golfers can participate by registering with a foursome, while businesses and organizations can support the tournament through sponsorships. Sponsors are encouraged to submit their logos and sponsorship information as soon as possible so their businesses can be featured on the course banner and sponsor signs.

Every registration and sponsorship helps Christmas Come True continue its work with Flagler County families.

Since its founding, the nonprofit has helped more than 1,500 families and 4,200 children in Flagler County. The organization reports helping more than 160 families representing over 500 children each year.

Christmas Come True works directly with families requesting assistance, interviewing parents individually to determine their most pressing clothing needs and what their children would most like to receive for Christmas. Gifts are wrapped, tagged and provided to parents so they can give them to their children on Christmas morning.

Families also receive a fresh Christmas dinner, and Christmas trees and decorations are provided when needed.

But the organization’s mission doesn’t end with the holidays.

Since 2012, Christmas Come True has expanded its assistance throughout the year, helping families with beds, bedding, furniture, home goods and emergency services when funding is available. Its Begin Again Home Goods store provides another source of revenue for the nonprofit while also helping furnish homes for families starting over or unable to afford basic household necessities.

More Ways to Help

The golf tournament is one way to support the mission, but Christmas Come True offers opportunities throughout the year. Community members can adopt a child’s gift wishes or an entire family’s wishes, donate Publix gift cards for family dinners, make monetary or monthly donations, or volunteer to purchase and wrap gifts between Thanksgiving and Distribution Day.

For DiBitetto, seeing the community rally around children remains an emotional experience even after years of involvement.

“I love it,” she said. “I could cry right now, just thinking about it.”

Golfers can register for the 10th Annual Mezzaluna Golf Tournament set for September 21 at the Conservatory Course, Hammock Beach, and businesses can find sponsorship information through Christmas Come True’s events page. Sponsors should send their logo and sponsorship information to Christmascometrue@gmail.com as soon as possible to be included in tournament materials.

With a decade of tournaments behind them, organizers are hoping golfers, sponsors and supporters will help make the anniversary event its biggest yet — turning a day on the golf course into Christmas morning smiles for Flagler County children.

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