Quezada Celebrity Golf Tournament brings people together

SANTA ANA PUEBLO — Weather and politics weren’t enough to stop Quezada’s Celebrity Golf Tournament from kicking off on Friday at the Santa Ana Golf Club.

The tournament, which was hosted by longtime Albuquerque Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada (District 2), is a fundraiser for various Bernalillo County nonprofits. This year, proceeds went to help Serenity Mesa Recovery Center.

According to its website, Serenity Mesa Recovery Center “is a transitional living center ... We focus on skills that will help our clients enter and sustain sobriety, re-enter their communities as strong, independent members, and learn the skills needed to live on their own. ... We provide opportunities for clients to build a self-sufficient life, maintain positive, healthy relationships and explore new ways of living that do not include using substances. We will show clients that a sober life can be fun, is possible, and is well within their grasp.”

This year, the tournament kicked off with a shotgun start (all golfers starting at the same time at different holes) at 8 a.m. and lasted until the early afternoon.

Quezada said his hope with the tournament was to leverage some “star power” to raise money for a good cause and to help his community.

“We’ve supported your industry, now what are you going to do for your community?” he said.

As well as being a commissioner, Quezada is also an award-winning actor, comedian and businessman. Possibly best known for his role as DEA Agent Steven Gomez on “Breaking Bad,” this year Quezada has both opened a new comedy club, Quezada’s Comedy Club & Cantina at Santa Ana Star Resort and Casino, and has graced the silver screen in the surprise horror hit of the year, “Strange Darling.”

The tournament did hit a few snags early on. Several celebrities who were lined up to play were unable to attend due to the weather on the East Coast.

“A lot of those guys are from Atlanta, and I told them, ‘Man, you have to stay home and keep your family safe,’” Quezada said.

Hurricane Helene made landfall on the East Coast overnight Friday morning as a Category 4 hurricane. According to the BBC, Helene hit Florida and moved north through Georgia. It remained a hurricane for six hours after it came ashore and left at least 45 dead in its wake.

Another snag was politics. The political climate in this country at the moment is hot, and tensions are at a modern-day high. Quezada said he hopes the tournament can be an example of Republicans and Democrats, and everyone in between, gathering to remember that we are all in this together.

“There’s a way, although we feel we’re divided as a country, that we’re actually more united than we think,” said Quezada. “We got Republicans here and Democrats. Because I’m a nothing. I’m a commissioner. People ask me are you a Republican or Democrat? And I tell them ‘I’m a commissioner right now.’”

Despite the hiccups, the tournament still had plenty of star power, like David Nunez, Natasha Leyba and Stephanie Chavez, and the morning was sunny on the course.

Quezada said the fundraising went well and he plans to host the tournament again next year, East Coast weather permitting, of course.

The amount raised has not yet been disclosed.