What: A golf tournament with breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening reception, auction, pre-round clinic, keynote address and awards.
Where: Riviera Country Club.
When: Monday, November 6. Registration and breakfast starting at 9:30, shotgun start at 11:30.
Why: To raise money for the ALS Therapy Development Foundation, which is a non-profit organization developing treatments for this devastating disease (commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
From the Driving 4 Life website:
“Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating, progressive neuromuscular disease that causes complete paralysis and loss of function–including the ability to eat, speak and breathe. Thirty thousand Americans have ALS, and 250,000 Americans alive today will eventually die from the disease. Most patients die within four years of diagnosis. There is currently no known cure. Driving 4 Life is a national fundraising campaign founded by World Golf Hall of Fame member Tom Watson, his late caddy Bruce Edwards and former PGA TOUR professional Jeff Julian. The campaign has raised more than $3.5 million to date. Both Bruce and Jeff lost hard-fought battles with ALS in the summer of 2004.”
How you can help (and what you get out of it):Charity golf tournaments capitalize on the irony that charity is selfish by giving the giver even more for their contributions than altruistic warm fuzzies. They give them golf.
And Driving 4 Life does it at premier locations with this event being held at the esteemed Riviera Country Club.
With available sponsorships ranging from $500 – $30,000, you can feel as warm and fuzzy as your wallet will allow. (The foursome rate is $5000.)
But wait: If you happen to be a golfer without such sizable contribution capabilities, you can still help out the ALS cause and possibly play in the tournament for a mere $50.
That’s right. You can buy a raffle ticket for $50 and designate Riviera and be entered into a drawing to win a playing spot at the tournament. And a winner is chosen for every 25 entries, so the odds are pretty good! You can buy as many tickets as you want. There it is: you get to give, gamble and possibly golf all for the low, low price of $50. Tickets must be purchased by October 30, so head on over to their website now to start feeling good right away.
Still more opportunities: Maybe you’re not quite ready for a $50 commitment. Maybe you’re scared of tournament play. Or maybe you’re a golf fan and not a player. They have something for you as well. You can still enjoy Riviera Country Club from a fan’s perspective with the added bonus of being able to watch the pros play.
Make a $15 minimum donation and get a ticket to the Nissan Open at Riviera next February. Get a ticket for each $15 you donate. Retail on these tickets is $25! You’re spending less and getting more! Remember, you’re GIVING.
When you make your donations online, just enter in the comments box whether you want Nissan Open tickets (and how many) or if you’re entering the raffle for the tournament. And don’t try to double dip with a $50 donation. That’s just greedy, not ironic.
And, of course, all donations are tax deductible.
Unofficial Ryder Cup news
Seeing that for the American team, there’s nowhere to go but up, Paul Azinger gladly accepts his appointment as Captain for the 2008 Ryder Cup.
His history with Europe’s captain, Nick Faldo, should make for an interesting Ryder Cup, not to mention two years of material for golf writers around the world.
Next post.