NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2005
CONTACT: Suzy Abrams-Jones, SBA Public Relations
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PGA Favorite John Daly, LPGA Star Natalie Gulbis To Join Golf Legend Peter Jacobsen At The Third Annual Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic
-- Television Personality Matt Griesser To Serve as Master of Ceremonies at this Special Event to Benefit Special Olympics New Jersey--
Monroe Township, NJ. -The Forsgate Foundation will host its third annual Charity Golf Classic, September 25 - 26, 2005, at the private Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Marking his third appearance at this event, PGA Professional Peter Jacobsen will be joined this year by PGA fan-favorite John Daly and LPGA phenom Natalie Gulbis for two-days of golf, entertainment, and "fun-draising" at this charitable event that will once again benefit Special Olympics New Jersey.
In addition, television personality Matt Griesser, best known for his recurring role as "Sign Boy" in FootJoy's national commercials, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the Charity Golf Classic's series of events.
Established in 2003, The Forsgate Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting worthwhile causes in the community through the use of the renowned and historic Forsgate Country Club. The Charity Golf Classic is the signature event of the Forsgate Foundation and the goal is to raise $75,000 over three years for Special Olympics New Jersey. For over three decades, Special Olympics has been dedicated to helping children and adults with developmental disabilities connect with opportunity and achievement.
"With the tremendous support of the Forsgate Country Club membership and the surrounding community, we are confident that the 2005 Charity Golf Classic will be our most successful," said Dave Wasenda, executive director of the Forsgate Foundation. "We are delighted that our good friend Peter Jacobsen is back with us and, of course, the addition of John Daly and the talented Natalie Gulbis will bring tremendous energy and excitement to the event. We encourage everyone to come out to support Special Olympics and have an enjoyable time at Forsgate Country Club."
The Event
The Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic will kick-off on Sunday, September 25th with a VIP reception and a live and silent auction featuring unique sports memorabilia, extravagant vacation getaways, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to get up close and personal with Jacobsen, Daly, Gulbis, and Griesser.
The following day on September 26th at 8:30am, event participants will compete in an 18-hole golf tournament on the links of Forsgate Country Club's renowned Banks Course, ranked the #2 private golf course in the state of New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly magazine.
Following the golf tournament at 2:00pm, fans and golfers alike will be treated to an Exhibition Clinic highlighting the skills and showmanship of Jacobsen, Daly, and Gulbis-with Griesser entertaining the crowd as the clinic's Master of Ceremonies.
At 3:00pm, The Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic will culminate with the exciting nine-hole Skins Game, a friendly competition featuring Jacobsen, Daly, and Gulbis battling it out for a total purse of $9,000.
Participation and Gallery Tickets
The cost to participate in the Charity Golf Classic is $950 per person, which includes one playing position in the tournament; an invitation to the live and silent auction, and awards reception; a special gift package; and VIP parking. A portion of the fee is tax deductible and the field of player participants is limited to 120 players.
In addition, Gallery Participant tickets are $15 and available for those fans who are interested in attending all the day's events on September 26th featuring Jacobsen, Daly and Gulbis.
Persons interested in viewing or participating in the Charity Golf Classic are requested to contact Dave Wasenda, Executive Director, at 732-656-8911 or log on to charityclassic@forsgatecc.com.
Celebrity Participants
Peter Jacobsen, a 30-year veteran of the PGA TOUR and widely regarded as the unofficial ambassador of golf, just captured his second career major championship title with a victory at the Ford Senior Players Championship in July. In addition to this victory, Jacobsen currently has three other Top-10 Champions Tour finishes in 2005 and scored an impressive Top-20 finish at the PGA TOUR's U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst. A consummate entertainer, Jacobsen leads a band called "Jake Trout and the Flounders," and hosts his own television program on The Golf Channel. In addition, Jacobsen is the owner of Peter Jacobsen Productions, an event management company that currently runs several PGA TOUR and Champions Tour events.
JOHN DALY, loved by golf fans worldwide for his no-nonsense demeanor and style, is one of the most recognized names in the game of golf. Blazing onto the golf scene in 1991 with his against-all-odds victory at the PGA Championship, Daly's big swing and big personality have earned him five career PGA TOUR victories. His most recent victory at the 2004 Buick Invitational was noted by many as the rebirth of his career and sparked his most consistent season ever on TOUR with a career-best 17 made cuts in 22 starts and four other Top-10 finishes. Daly has had three, Top-25 finishes so far this year with his best finish at the Shell Houston Open where he placed second. In addition to golf, Daly enjoys music and has recorded an autobiographical album titled "My Life."
Natalie Gulbis is one of the rising young stars of the LPGA Tour. At the tender age of 14, Gulbis won the California Women's Amateur Championship, and later that year, became the youngest player to qualify for an LPGA tournament (1997, Longs Drugs Challenge), a record that stood until 2002. Following an All-American year at the University of Arizona where she claimed four collegiate tournaments, Gulbis made the leap to professional golf when, at 19 years old, she qualified for the LPGA Tour. Since her pro debut, Gulbis has been winning over fans with her swing and her smile and has carded six, Top-10 finishes so far in 2005 and has earned more than $700,000.
An accomplished comedian and actor-well known for his roles in sitcom's like "Coach" and "Grace Underfire" as well as Hollywood blockbusters like "The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas" and "Almost Famous"-Matt Griesser has exploded onto the golf scene with recurring roles as FootJoy's "Sign Boy" and Peter Jacobsen's affable sidekick on The Golf Channel's popular series "Peter Jacobsen: Plugged In." Whether appearing alone or with big name golf pros, Griesser keeps crowds guessing and entertained.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Corporate sponsorships for The Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic are still available in several categories including "Participating Sponsor," which features the company's name on all event marketing, VIP access and playing privileges for up to four persons, admission to all event venues, VIP parking, and more. In addition, "Corporate Sponsorships" are available and feature playing privileges for two persons and access to all event venues
Organizations interested in becoming a sponsor of this very worthy event are requested to contact Dave Wasenda, executive director, at 732-656-8911 or charityclassic@forsgatecc.com.
To learn more about the Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic and the celebrity guests, visit www.forsgatefoundation.org
THE FORSGATE FOUNDATION ( WWW.FORSGATEFOUNDATION.ORG )WAS LAUNCHED IN 2003 AS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH THE MISSION OF PROVIDING SUPPORT TO WORTHWHILE CAUSES LOCATED WITHIN NEW JERSEY THROUGH USE OF THE RENOWNED AND HISTORIC FORSGATE COUNTRY CLUB. THE FORSGATE FOUNDATION CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2003, WILL BE AN ANNUAL EVENT OF THE FOUNDATION. ALL PROFITS FROM IT AND FUTURE FOUNDATION EVENT PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT NEW JERSEY CHARITIES.
FOR THREE DECADES, SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEW JERSEY ( WWW.SONJ.ORG ) HAS BEEN HELPING CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES CONNECT WITH OPPORTUNITY AND ACHIEVEMENT. MORE THAN 13,500 ATHLETES FROM OVER 400 COMMUNITIES IN NEW JERSEY PARTICIPATE IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS. THEY LEARN SKILLS, EXPERIENCE THE TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF SPORTS, AND FIND TALENTS WITHIN THAT OTHERS DID NOT THINK POSSIBLE. WITH THE NEW SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEW JERSEY SPORTS COMPLEX, THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS MORE SPORTS PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION AND CONNECTION FOR ATHLETES, THEIR FAMILIES, VOLUNTEERS AND THE COMMUNITY. TODAY THEY ARE CREATING AN EVEN BIGGER NETWORK OF OPPORTUNITY. SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEW JERSEY'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE YEAR-ROUND SPORTS TRAINING AND ATHLETIC COMPETITION IN 23 OLYMPIC-TYPE SPORTS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION OR OTHER CLOSELY RELATED DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
FORSGATE COUNTRY CLUB ( WWW.FORSGATECC.COM ) IS AN EXCLUSIVE, FULL SERVICE, FAMILY-ORIENTED PRIVATE COUNTRY CLUB LOCATED IN THE HEART OF NEW JERSEY. FORSGATE OFFERS PERMANENT GOLF, SPORTS AND SOCIAL MEMBERSHIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND CORPORATIONS. ESTABLISHED IN 1931, FORSGATE COUNTRY CLUB FEATURES 36 HOLES OF WORLD-CLASS GOLF, INCLUDING THE RENOWNED CHARLES BANKS COURSE, DESIGNED TO RECREATE HISTORIC HOLES THROUGHOUT EUROPE, AND THE PALMER COURSE, WHICH IS A TRADITIONAL AMERICAN COURSE WITH CHALLENGING WATER HAZARDS ON TEN OF ITS SCENIC HOLES. THE COUNTRY CLUB ALSO OFFERS FACILITIES FOR BANQUET EVENTS AND CORPORATE MEETINGS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO NON-MEMBER GUESTS. FORSGATE COUNTRY CLUB, WHICH IS LOCATED MIDWAY BETWEEN NEW YORK CITY AND PHILADELPHIA AT EXIT 8A OF THE NJ TURNPIKE, IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY RDC GOLF GROUP, INC.
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