Golf Tournament to benefit Blue Hill’s Friendship Cottage
Hosted by community members, the event celebrates the legacy of folk singer, activist Peter Yarrow
July 14, 2026
By Staff
Noel Paul Stookey and Friendship Cottage program coordinator Anne Ossanna during an Open House at Friendship Cottage in June. Photo courtesy of Friendship Cottage.
BLUE HILL—The Peter Yarrow Memorial Golf Tournament will take place at the Blue Hill Country Club on July 30, with proceeds benefiting Friendship Cottage’s adult day service program. The program is operated by Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties.
According to a press release, the event celebrates the legacy of Peter Yarrow, “the beloved folk singer, activist, and co-founder of the iconic trio Peter, Paul and Mary—known worldwide for songs such as “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “If I Had a Hammer,” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.””
The tournament is being organized by local community members, including Peter’s longtime bandmate Noel “Paul” Stookey, the release said. Stookey, a resident of the Blue Hill Peninsula, has “long championed supporting older adults and caregivers throughout Hancock County.”
Proceeds from the tournament will directly support the “ongoing operations and planned enhancements at Friendship Cottage,” the release said, helping “strengthen the facility, expand programming, and ensure the long-term sustainability of adult day services in the region.”
“Friendship Cottage has always been a place where people are cared for with dignity, joy, and connection,” said Ben Wooten, one of the tournament organizers and a member of the Friends of Friendship Cottage group, in the release. “This tournament is a way for our community to come together, celebrate Peter’s legacy, and support a program that means so much to local families.”
Friendship Cottage provides daytime care, meals, social engagement, and activities for adults living with physical, cognitive, or memory challenges. The program also offers respite and support for caregivers across Hancock County.
CAAWHC recently completed the purchase of the Friendship Cottage building, which secured the future of the program after “a remarkable community-driven fundraising effort,” the release said, which resulted in $700,000 raised this spring. An anonymous donation of $135,000 finalized the acquisition of the building and funded “urgent capital improvements such as roof replacement and structural upgrades.”
“Friendship Cottage is a lifeline for families across Hancock County,” said CAAWHC CEO Jason Parent in the release. “This tournament honors Peter Yarrow’s legacy of compassion and community while helping ensure the Cottage remains strong, welcoming, and sustainable for years to come.”
Peter Yarrow’s music and activism helped shape the American folk revival of the 1960s, the release said. Alongside Stookey and Mary Travers, “the trio used their platform to advocate for peace, justice, and community—values deeply reflected in the mission of Friendship Cottage. The tournament celebrates Yarrow’s enduring spirit of kindness and connection while supporting a program that embodies those same values.”