FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 7, 2006
Media Contact:
Sunny Kim, Caritas of Austin

512-646-1261

skim[at]caritasofaustin.org

 

CARITAS OF AUSTIN CELEBRITY GOLF CLASSIC BREAKS AGENCY RECORDS

Tournament Raises $170,000 to Help Families in Need 

(Austin, TX) – Caritas of Austin’s 14^th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic hosted by the National Association of Professional Athletes raised $170,000 for the social service agency—$13,000 more than last year. The tournament, held at Barton Creek Resort & Spa, included a tribute dinner and auction on May 30 and a double shotgun tournament on May 31. This is the second-largest annual fundraiser for the agency, and all proceeds raised from the tournament benefit low-income families in need. Over 50 teams and 300 players participated in the tournament.

“The tournament has been successful in the past, but we are delighted that this year’s event raised more money than any of the previous years,” said Beth Atherton, executive director of Caritas. “We had hoped to raise $150,000 this year, and we are grateful to the community for their support in exceeding our goal by $20,000.”

The lively tribute dinner recognized RunTex CEO Paul Carrozza as honorary tournament chair, and Howard Chalmers served as live auctioneer. Celebrities in attendance included Mayor Will Wynn, Roosevelt Leaks, Darrell Royal, Jody Conradt and Chris Plonsky, University of Texas women’s athletics director.

First place tournament winner was a team sponsored by AT&T; second place was Bulhon Design Associates; third place was the University of Texas Golf Club; and fourth place was Coors of Austin.

For 42 years, Caritas has assisted with basic needs such as food, rent and utilities and helped clients learn the skills they need to gain self-sufficiency. This year, Caritas will serve over 20,000 adults and children as Travis County’s largest source of non-governmental assistance. “Caritas” is from the Latin word for love, and in this spirit, anyone with a legitimate need is eligible to receive help.

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