VCU news

By Erin Lucero
Office of Development, School of Medicine

The inaugural Children’s Medical Center Classic, an official stop on the Celebrity Players Tour, will be held April 13 - 16 at The Dominion Club in Glen Allen. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Children’s Medical Center at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. The golf tournament will feature a field of 72 national and international celebrities competing for at least $250,000 in prize money. The tournament also will include a two-day Celeb-Am event with amateur participants paired with celebrities in a team competition.

Each event on the Celebrity Players tour, while highly competitive and played for substantial purses, also raises significant funds for local and national charities, with a special focus on organizations assisting children. The Children’s Medical Center consolidates all programs relating to pediatric care, education and research at MCV Hospitals. Its pediatric intensive care unit, the busiest in the state, is the only one in Central Virginia to care for children with cancer as well as with advanced head trauma and severe burns.

"We are excited to be a part of a national tour, particularly a tour of this caliber that brings in competitive celebrity golfers who are committed to the game, and more importantly are committed to helping us help children," said Lindsey Grossman, M.D., interim chairman of the Children’s Medical Center at MCV Hospitals. "This tournament will both highlight the work that we do here and help fund important initiatives which we could not do on our own."

Formed in January 1997, the Celebrity Players Tour is the nation’s only professional celebrity golf tour. Comprised of over 100 low-handicap players, participants include both current and former players from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, plus renowned names from music, television/film and politics.

Some of the celebrities already verbally indicating they will participate in the Children’s Medical Center Classic include: baseball legend Mike Schmidt; tennis champion Ivan Lendl; football greats Jim McMahon and Jim Brown; basketball superstar George "The Iceman" Gervin; former Redskins star Joe Jacoby; former Richmond and Atlanta Braves pitcher Jose Alvarez; and former MLB pitcher and all-time celebrity golf leader in both wins and earnings, Rick Rhoden.

"We are honored to have secured a date on the schedule of the fastest growing tour in professional golf," said Tournament Director Larry Creeger, representing EventMakers-USA, a special event management and marketing firm based in Richmond. "This is a wonderful opportunity to bring an extremely popular and prestigious sporting event to Virginia, while raising money for a worthy non-profit medical center that cares for the region’s children."

On April 15 and 16, spectators will be able to watch the celebrity competition, which will be played under official USGA rules (stroke play, no handicap). The tournament includes a two-day Celeb-Am on April 13 and 14, which also is open to the public, with amateur participants teamed with celebrities competing for prizes.

The 2000 schedule marks the fourth season for the CPT, which is owned by the players themselves. Richmond will be the second of 15 stops in a season that will begin in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. with the Dan Marino Celebrity Invitational.

Some of the major corporate sponsors of the Children's Medical Center Classic are: Kraft Foods-USA, Kellogg's and Welch's. For Pro-Am and sponsorship information, please contact HMG EventMakers-USA at (804) 358-5557. All ticket information will be announced at a later date.