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Sunday
March 21, 2010 Since 1922 |
Celebrity Golf Tournament scores big
By Dave Rogers
Thirty-three teams and 24 sports celebrities played in the scramble at Goose Creek Country Club that raises money for the Shriners Childrens Hospital.
“It was awesome. And I got to hit a bunch of balls,” said former pro boxer and current boxing trainer Maurice “Termite” Watkins, a regular player in the annual tournament that precedes the high school all-star game between teams from Texas and Louisiana.
NFL Hall of Famer Kenny Houston, a former defensive back for the Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins, was one of the biggest names, participating as he has for several years at the request of local banker Ronnie Anderson of Community Resources Credit Union.
“Ronnie invited me six or seven years ago and I try to come every year,” said Houston, a counselor for the HISD who has coached on the pro, college and high school level in Houston since retiring from the NFL in 1980.
“This is a good group of guys, and it brings people together for a common cause. You get a chance to meet a lot of people.”
One newcomer in the playing field Friday was Derald Walker of Dallas. His son, Ryan Walker, a former Southlake Carroll player, is a member of Team Texas for tonight’s seventh annual Nike Bayou Bowl.
Derald Walker signed up his company as a Bayou Bowl sponsor and brought a large gathering of family to town with him to watch tonight’s game.
“Ryan’s grandmother came from Campbell River, British Columbia, and one of his uncles is here from Ocean Springs, Miss.,” Walker said.
“It has been a wonderful weekend. We’re really enjoying the hospitality and looking forward to the game.”
Among the celebrities playing Friday were former Oilers head coach Ed Biles, former Oiler players Charley Frazier and Jim Beirne, former Houston Rocket Robert Reid, former Houston Astro Kevin Bass, six-time world champion wrestler Booker T, Harlem Globetrotter Reggie Dixon, Phi Slama Jama starter Reid Gettys and KPRC sportscaster Randy McIlvoy.
“Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves,” said former Baytown mayor Pete Alfaro, a celebrity in his own right and the chairman of the Nike Bayou Bowl steering committee.
“The heat was a concern, but we’ve had a nice little breeze.”
Rusty Senac came aboard late in the spring as chairman of the golf committee, but, with groundwork laid by Chamber of Commerce CEO Tracey Wheeler and Alfaro, finished strong.
“It was great seeing everything come together,” Senac said. “Ronnie Anderson did a fabulous job lining up celebrities.”
Almost 100 businesses and individuals participated as sponsors, with the biggest contributions coming from Waste Management of Texas, Aecom, CASA Pontiac Buick GM, HDR/Claunch & Miller, The Infinity Group, CenterPoint, SNC Lavalin/GDS Engineers, and David and Angel Cox.
Thirty-three teams and 24 sports celebrities played in the scramble at Goose Creek Country Club that raises money for the Shriners Childrens Hospital.
“It was awesome. And I got to hit a bunch of balls,” said former pro boxer and current boxing trainer Maurice “Termite” Watkins, a regular player in the annual tournament that precedes the high school all-star game between teams from Texas and Louisiana.
NFL Hall of Famer Kenny Houston, a former defensive back for the Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins, was one of the biggest names, participating as he has for several years at the request of local banker Ronnie Anderson of Community Resources Credit Union.
“Ronnie invited me six or seven years ago and I try to come every year,” said Houston, a counselor for the HISD who has coached on the pro, college and high school level in Houston since retiring from the NFL in 1980.
“This is a good group of guys, and it brings people together for a common cause. You get a chance to meet a lot of people.”
One newcomer in the playing field Friday was Derald Walker of Dallas. His son, Ryan Walker, a former Southlake Carroll player, is a member of Team Texas for tonight’s seventh annual Nike Bayou Bowl.
Derald Walker signed up his company as a Bayou Bowl sponsor and brought a large gathering of family to town with him to watch tonight’s game.
“Ryan’s grandmother came from Campbell River, British Columbia, and one of his uncles is here from Ocean Springs, Miss.,” Walker said.
“It has been a wonderful weekend. We’re really enjoying the hospitality and looking forward to the game.”
Among the celebrities playing Friday were former Oilers head coach Ed Biles, former Oiler players Charley Frazier and Jim Beirne, former Houston Rocket Robert Reid, former Houston Astro Kevin Bass, six-time world champion wrestler Booker T, Harlem Globetrotter Reggie Dixon, Phi Slama Jama starter Reid Gettys and KPRC sportscaster Randy McIlvoy.
“Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves,” said former Baytown mayor Pete Alfaro, a celebrity in his own right and the chairman of the Nike Bayou Bowl steering committee.
“The heat was a concern, but we’ve had a nice little breeze.”
Rusty Senac came aboard late in the spring as chairman of the golf committee, but, with groundwork laid by Chamber of Commerce CEO Tracey Wheeler and Alfaro, finished strong.
“It was great seeing everything come together,” Senac said. “Ronnie Anderson did a fabulous job lining up celebrities.”
Almost 100 businesses and individuals participated as sponsors, with the biggest contributions coming from Waste Management of Texas, Aecom, CASA Pontiac Buick GM, HDR/Claunch & Miller, The Infinity Group, CenterPoint, SNC Lavalin/GDS Engineers, and David and Angel Cox.