Honesdale High School alum Mike LaChance 100 holes of golf charity event

AMHERST, NH — Mike LaChance was a larger than life presence at Honesdale High School back in the early 1980s.

A standout baseball player under Hall of Fame coach Fred Light, LaChance batted lead-off and patrolled centerfield for the Hornets during his varsity career.

As a junior, he was named to both the Wayne League and Northeast Athletic Conference All-Star Teams. He then served as a co-captain his senior year alongside Dan Tuman.

After graduation, LaChance attended Lock Haven University and then embarked on a long career with the YMCA. He currently holds the title of CEO at the Greater Nashua Y, one of the largest in the nation with more than 26,000 members.

LaChance is very active in his community and also an avid golfer — a combination that recently allowed him the chance to participate in a unique benefit event.

Epic links adventure

On June 20, LaChance took part in the “100 Holes of Golf in One Day” tournament.

The 31^st annual event was held at Amherst Country Club and hosted by the Milford New Hampshire Rotary Club.

Sixty-one golfers participated in the event, which began at 6 a.m. and continued until dark. LaChance’s group reached their 100th hole at about 7:30 p.m., the equivalent of five-plus full rounds covering 13.5 hours.

“It was a great time,” LaChance said after posting a ‘score’ of 471. “My group actually decided to play one more hole on our way back to the clubhouse to make it 101.”

All proceeds from the tournament were donated to local service organizations. Each golfer was required to raise a minimum of $1,000 in pledges to qualify. Half of that amount went to the main benefit fund and half to a charity of the golfer’s choosing.

LaChance secured a total of $1,400 with $700 going to the Rotary Club of Nashua West. He’s been a member since 2007 and served as president in 2015-16.

A lifelong links enthusiast, LaChance and his wife, Sharon, have traveled all over the country in search of golfing adventures. Over the years, he’s teed it up at legendary courses like Sawgrass, Bay Hill and Pinehurst #2.

“Sharon loves to play as much as I do,” he said. “Most of our vacations are golf-related with other couples. I’ve had the opportunity to play some fun public courses and a number of private ones too.”

LaChance also organizes multiple golf trips every year. What started off as a very informal affair with three foursomes has grown into an actual organization.

It’s called the Pineseekers Golf Group of New England, currently boasting more than 40 active participants and a total membership of 400.

“This is my 40^th year as part of the YMCA movement and it’s been amazing,” he said. “When I retire, I plan to serve as a consultant for YMCAs across the country. And, I’m also going to continue planning golf events.”

Fond memories of Honesdale

Mike is the son of Patrick and Bonnie LaChance. He was born in Hartford (CT), but moved to Honesdale as an eighth grader.

LaChance made many friends at HHS thanks to his sense of humor, outgoing personality and athletic ability. Fred Light was a huge positive influence in his life, both as his coach and as high school guidance counselor.

“I was definitely blessed to have Mr. Light in my life for support and advice,” LaChance said. “I was the first member of my family to attend college, let alone graduate. Mr. Light took me for my campus visit and helped me with my application.”

LaChance’s younger sister, Doreen, still lives in Honesdale. He also retains ties to the Wayne County YMCA through serving on a northeast committee along with local executive director Tina Hoehn.

“I really enjoyed the time I spent living in Honesdale,” he said. “It was quite a change from growing up in a city. A couple of years ago, we were able to help Tina out the with a donation of equipment. It was a great feeling to be able to support the Wayne County Y.”

For her part, Hoehn has nothing but praise for the former Hornet who’s gone on to be a driving force nationally.

“Mike is a strong YMCA leader who has been extremely generous,” she said. “He is always warm and welcoming and is a true Y leader. Mike is just a great guy.”

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