The Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary of raising funds for children in Hilton Head, Bluffton & Beaufort this Labor Day Weekend, September 2, 3 & 4, 2005. Mr. Bob Cousy, Boston Celtic Legend and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame will serve as the Honorary Chairman for this milestone in the tournament’s history.

Bob Cousy, a longtime friend and supporter to the event is known as “Mr. Basketball” & “The Houdini of Hardwood”. He has also been selected as “One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.”

A history of the event:
The Hilton Head tournament is recognized as one of the longest running and most well respected Celebrity Golf Tournaments in the country. The event was started locally by a small but mighty group of Hilton Head Island Jaycees in November 1979. David Bachelder, Cary Griffin and Charles Sampson, former members of the Jaycees and founders of the Tournament, continue to lead the event as members of the Council of Trustees for the Celebrity Golf Foundation.

In 1979, Greenwood Development Corporation and The Sea Pines Resort gave their total support to the Tournament, shortly thereafter The Melrose Company and Indigo Run brought their support. Today, 25 years later, they along with ClubCorp, remain strongly committed to supporting the annual Labor Day Weekend tradition.

Since their inception, the tournament has contributed $2,360,000.00 to their beneficiaries. This year, 18 Beaufort County children’s charities share in the proceeds. Funds raised provide food for the hungry, safety and shelter for the bused, clothing for the needy, quality day care, grief counseling, medical and dental aid, summer camp for the disabled and programs that give children the opportunity for a sense of self worth and direction.

Sponsorships available:
The tournament format matches amateur golfers with a different Celebrity each day on three of Hilton Head Island’s most treasured layouts; Friday: The Golf Club at Indigo Run, Saturday: The Robert Trent Jones Course in Palmetto Dunes and Sunday: Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines. Breakfast and lunch on the golf course, dinners, parties, entertainment, player gifts and the hospitality suite are just a few of the amenities of the weekend for the golfers and their guests.

For non-golfers who do not want to miss the festive weekend of dinners, parties, entertainment and Celebrity mingling, they offer tax deductible Sponsorship Packages that includes valuable exposure to individuals and businesses.

A history of Celebrities:
The Celebrity list from their 25-year history has been a most impressive line up. To name just a few: Neil Armstrong , the first man on the moon, and Apollo 13 Commander, James Lovell. From Sports and Broadcasting; Ernie Banks, Johnny Bench, Bonnie Blair, George Blanda, Vida Blue, Jim Boeheim, Nick Buoniconti, Jim Calhoun, P.J. Carlesimo, Steve Bartkowski, Gary Carter, Bobby Cremins, Bob Cousy, Roger Craig, Laurie Dhue, Carl Erskine, Bob Horner, Tony Kornheiser, Mark Malone, Cazzie Russell, John Stallworth, Ozzie Smith, Julius Erving, Carlton Fisk, Carl Erskine, Louis Tiant, Linda Cohn, Hank Stram, Mike Fratello, John Havlicek, Michael Jordan, K.C. Jones, Ben Wright, Dan Jansen, Curly Neal, Chuck Noll, Billy Packer, Gale Sayers, Hank Stram, Johnny Unitas, Jim Valvano, Frank Viola, Bucky Waters, James Worthy and from the Olympic Miracle team, Mike Eruzione & Jack O’Callahan.

From the world of entertainment: Fred McMurray, Robert Stack, Ed Marinaro, Leslie Nielsen, Telly Savalas, Alex Trebek, Craig T. Nelson, Elke Sommer, Dennis Franz, Richard Roundtree, Patrick Duffy, Jerry Orbach, Paul Williams, Lee Majors, Henry Cho, Gary Mule Deer, John O’Hurley, Scott Record, Robert Newman, Kim Zimmer, Richard Karn, B.J. Thomas and Vince Gill.

The roster of Celebrities scheduled to attend the 25 Anniversary Celebration and Sponsorship Packages for golfers and non golfers alike can be seen on the Tournaments website at www.hhcelebritygolf.com or you may contact the Tournament office (843) 842- 7711.