The list of celebrity golfers is growing and so is the list of sports memorabilia that will be up for auction at the upcoming Celebrity Golf Classic for the benefit of Supplementary Assistance to the Handicapped (SATH).
The 29th annual event will be held at Snow Hill Country Club in Wilmington, starting with the celebrity introductions and a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Monday, April 26.
SATH Executive Director Linda Allen told The Times-Gazette that the celebrity list includs names easily recognized by sports fans.
“David Fulcher is a former Bengal, George Wilson who was a UC basketball player, also Kip Young, who pitched for the Detroit Tigers, and John Worden, who also played for Detroit,” Allen said. “Steve Moeller was a UC coach with Bob Huggins and former Reds second basemen Ron Oester is on our list as well.”
She said that the tournament, sponsored by John and Andrea Holt of the Hillsboro Ponderosa Steakhouse, will consist of 25 foursomes with one celebrity on each team. The cost is $200 per player or $800 per team, and individual and team sponsors were welcome. Hole sponsors are $100 each with the sponsor receiving a sign autographed by each celebrity after the event.
Each team will draw for their “celebrity player” at 9 a.m. the morning of the tournament, and prizes will be given for the top three placing teams.
The golf tournament will wrap up with dinner at 3 p.m., followed by the other “star” of the event, the sports memorabilia auction that is open to the general public starting at 3:30 p.m.
Allen said there is one item on the auction block that is generating a lot of buzz among sports enthusiasts, Bengals fans in particular.
“We have an autographed Bengals football jersey from Joe Burrow that has been framed with two other pictures in it,” she said. “It isn’t a ‘game worn’ jersey, but it is authentic, it’s in a Bengals collage frame and this thing is huge!”
She said when it was delivered to her home, the FedEx delivery person literally wrestled with the size and weight in putting it on her porch, and when she and her husband unpacked it for inspection, her husband was surprised at what he felt would be an impressive statement the item would make at the auction.
Allen said the many other auction items include a mini-Bengals football helmet along with other items autographed by the Bengals quarterback, in addition to a baseball bat and ball signed by Oester, autographed footballs from Fulcher and new assorted items for Ohio State fans.
All the celebrities will sign items for those in attendance, Allen added.
Everything is for the benefit of SATH and KAMP Dovetail, which she said for the past year hasn’t been able to hold the necessary fund raisers to keep up with expenses, and to underwrite the cost of the upcoming KAMP Dovetail for handicapped and disabled children, now set for the week of June 21.
“The kids didn’t get to have camp last year, and it was heartbreaking for everyone, volunteers included,” Allen said. “The parents are very excited, and next week is KAMP Dovetail registration. Our theme this year is a baseball theme called ‘All-Stars,’ with a wiffle ball tournament.”
Another fundraiser is the annual charity auction, scheduled for Saturday, May 15 at 10 a.m. at the Highland County Fairgrounds, which Allen said had been delayed from March due to COVID-19 concerns and ongoing work at the fairgrounds.
She said SATH was fortunate to have been able to have its charity auction before the statewide coronavirus lock down last March.
“We are moving ahead, and are excited about opening up our camp and having our fundraisers, and kicking things off with our golf tournament at the end of April,” she said.
For more information about the Celebrity Golf Classic or SATH and KAMP Dovetail activities, contact Allen at 937-366-6657 or 937-364-6144 after 5 p.m.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
