Celebrities Golf for a Good Cause

The rain didn’t dampen the efforts of the 9th Annual Gift of Hope Golf Classic Monday morning.

The celebrity Pro-Am tournament sponsored by Ethicon and benefitted the United Way of the Concho Valley, and teams of four ‘bought’ a celebrity to play for them.

“Last night we had a show to auction off a pro,” said Sadie Cartwright, an organizer of the event from Ethicon, Inc.

Celebrities participating in the tournament included Sherwood Stewart, Dave Appleton, Steve Bargatze, Ralph Terry, Donny Anderson, Ed Marinaro, Jim McLean, Jim O’Brien, and local San Angelo celebrities and golf pros.

The celebrities draw in participants and Ethicon matches all the money raised during the tournament and donates the funds to United Way.

Ethicon puts on the tournament every year as a part of their credo that states: “We are responsible to the communities in which we live
and work and to the world community as well.”

“Ethicon is dedicated to our community,” said Cartwright, “we take it seriously.”

Aside from Ethicon, the celebrity golfers that live in San Angelo or fly and drive in for the tournament take the cause seriously and that’s why they continue to participate.

“I’ve been doing it [playing in the tournament] a long time,” said Donny Anderson, NFL Pro Bowl Running back, “always for a good deed.”

Anderson, drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1965, comes to help the cause and because his friend Cliff Ritchey is the Celebrity Host.

 Anderson explained that the reason the Gift of Hope Golf Classic is so successful is that it’s a good cause, but more importantly Cliff Ritchey makes it happen, “Cliff is committed 110 percent that’s the main reason,” Ritchey explained at the break between rounds one and two.

The first round had gone out in the morning and come in for lunch, alternating with the second round, which kicked off at 1:30 p.m. The Gift of Hope Golf Classic is an annual event held at the Bentwood Country Club each year.