UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State coach Patrick Chambers will be joined by fellow Penn State coaches, former Nittany Lion players, notable sports figures and more than 300 golfers and sponsors when he hosts the 16th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Tournament sponsored by Sheetz, Friday, June 1, at the Penn State Blue and White Golf Courses.
"I'm proud to be part of a great Penn State tradition in the 16th Annual Coaches Vs. Cancer Golf Tournament," Chambers said. "It is a pleasure and an honor to join the many sponsors, volunteers and community leaders that have made this one of the outstanding tournaments in Pennsylvania and a huge success every year. It has been a huge part of helping CVC-Penn State raise over $ 1.7 million to fight cancer and aid those fighting in our community."
The 16th Annual event kicks off Thursday night, May 31, with a catered Captains/Sponsor Reception gala at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the home of Penn State and State College Spikes baseball. That event features high-end hors d'oeuvres, open beverage service, live music and a silent auction amidst the scenic ballpark.
The following day, more than 60 groups, each captained by a Penn State coach or notable sports figure, and more than 300 golfers will participate in four flights on both Penn State courses as the 5-man, 18-hole scramble gets underway. Golfers will hit the course starting at 7 a.m. Friday morning with the afternoon flight going off at 12:30 p.m. in a day full of golf, food and fun. The event wraps up Friday evening with a catered golf banquet in the Mt. Nittany Club at Beaver Stadium.
Additional information regarding participation in or sponsorship of the event is available at CVCPennState.org.
Among the notable sports figures that participated in last year's event were 1,000-point Nittany Lion scorers Joe Crispin (3nd all-time), Jarrett Stephens (9th all-time) and Dan Earl (15th all-time), Nittany Lion football All-Americans Lydell Mitchell, Glenn Ressler, John Skorupan and Keith Conlin, Penn State football coaches Galen Hall and Jay Paterno, Nittany Lion coaches Russ Rose (Women's Volleyball), Char Morett (Field Hockey), John Hargis (Swimming), Bob Warming (Men's Soccer), Jeff Tambroni (Men's Lacrosse) and Missy Doherty (Women's Lacrosse), former Nittany Lion basketball head coach Bruce Parkhill, the Nittany Lion basketball radio team of Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi, X-Games legend Jamie Bestwick and many, many more.
Led by Nittany Lion basketball coach Patrick Chambers, CVC-Penn State aims to eclipse $2 million raised. The organization has grown from an annual golf tournament started in the summer of 1996 to a year-round schedule of events, which includes the Spikes Fest, CVC 5k Fun Run/Walk, the Coaches Vs. Cancer Golf Tournament (June 1), Brewer's Expo, the CVC Reverse Car Drawing, Bestwick Foundation Bike For Life and CVC "Band Together" Day. CVC-Penn State ranked as the sixth highest fundraiser among Coaches vs. Cancer organizations nationally in 2011, raising more than $200,000 for the second-straight year, and has ranked among the top 10 for more than a decade.
National CVC organizations raised more than $6 million combined last year. Penn State's CVC organization supports the American Cancer Society, but also keeps a large portion of funds for use in supporting cancer-affected locals through the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund (BCAF). With Penn State-CVC support, BPCAF has been able to distribute more than $250,000 in the past three year alone providing such things as: paying for gas and groceries; helping to pay household bills like utilities, rent, repairs, and car payments; subsidizing lodging at the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Hershey for patients and their families; and much, much more.
To get involved as a sponsor or participant in Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer please visit CVCPENNSTATE.ORG or call (814) 330-3337.