Golf Tourney Raises Money for Marrow Program

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (May 19, 2004) – A host of sports-related celebrities participated in the 15th Annual Rick Hendrick Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday in Huntersville to benefit the Hendrick Marrow Program. NASCAR drivers, members of the NFL Carolina Panthers, NBA Charlotte Bobcats and the ECHL Charlotte Checkers joined local media personalities and other golfers to comprise the 38 five-man teams that competed in the tournament, raising approximately $350,000. The event was kicked off by a reception held the evening before in The Speedway Club at Lowe’s Motor Speedway to thank the sponsors. The reception featured the first-time meeting for marrow donor Dan Hines of Charlotte and recipient John Mathieu of Fresno, Calif. Mathieu is now in remission from Myelodysplastic syndrome after the two were linked more than two years ago through a donor drive hosted by the Hendrick Marrow Program. The golf classic began with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. Play ended around 5 p.m. and was followed by dinner and an awards presentation. Placing first in the tournament was The Speedway Club team with members Craig Miller, Phil Demer, Ron Herbert, Greg Griffith and Greg Fornelli. After dinner, Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and founder of the Hendrick Marrow Program, thanked all the participants, volunteers and sponsors who helped make the event a success. “It was a great day today,” Hendrick said. “If you’ve participated in any way, you’ve helped a great deal. I can’t thank you enough.” Bank of America was the title sponsor of the classic, while the tournament was presented by Choate Construction and MetLife. Other sponsors included Hendrick Automotive Group, Chase Automotive Finance, David’s Ltd., DuPont Automotive Finishes, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, GMAC, HAAS Automation, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Reynolds and Reynolds, The Speedway Club and Sunbelt Rentals. Proceeds from the event went toward the Hendrick Marrow Program, an official partner of The Marrow Foundation. The program was founded in 1997, and its goal is to secure resources from the private sector to support the work of the National Marrow Donor Program.