Jul 15, 2007

Athletes come together 'Fore the Care'

By Janet Duca Norton / Society Columnist

The fourth annual "Fore the Care" golf tournament on July 9 was a two-day event benefiting the Stanford Hospital and Clinics' Cancer Concierge Services Program. For the first time, Stanford partnered with The Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley, East Palo Alto, for the kickoff Village of Champions Dinner on July 8. About 180 sports celebrities, cancer survivors and community leaders attended the auction and dinner.

The cancer concierge services are provided free of charge to all Stanford Hospital patients and their families. "We are here to help," Stanford Hospital President and CEO Martha Marsh said. The innovative concierge program includes education classes, transportation services, support groups and free massages, as well as assistance with scheduling appointments, locating temporary housing, note taking at medical appointments and financial counseling.

Barbara Ralston, director of guest services, said the tournament is a "friend-raiser" as well as a fundraiser for the program.

Former professional athletes, baseball's Dave Stewart (the Dodgers and A's) and football's Gary Plummer (San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers) shared tournament co-chairmen roles. "Last year we participated for the first time and we were asked to be chairs this time. We'll sign up for 40 years," Stewart said.

The co-chairmen encouraged sports legends Greg Baty, Steve and Tina Bono, Fred Biletnikoff, Pedro Guerro, Charlie Young, Eric Wright, Mike Groll and Dave Henderson to bid high and often.

Seen bidding and applauding the music of the Jung Trio were Linda and Skip Law, Linda and Jim DeMartini, David Marsh, Ian and Ronni Watson, Juanita Brown, Leslie Chase, sponsors Dean Ballback and Stephen Luczon, and new Fours Seasons General Manager Tracy Mercer.

Mitch Juricich, host of KNBR 680's "Hooked on Golf," performed emcee and auctioneer duties. Competitively bid upon auction items included the opportunity to be a fighter pilot for a day, the chance to drive a Formula One racing car at Las Vegas Speedway, and an invitation to attend the 2008 U.S. Open in San Diego.

The tournament was inspired by the late Bobby Bonds, who was treated for cancer at Stanford Hospital, and dreamed of playing golf with sports celebrities. His famous son Barry Bonds honored his wish by playing in the first tournament.

Each of the 22 fivesomes on Stanford University Golf Course played with a sports celebrity. The celebrity pairings reflected the wishes of Bobby Bonds and cancer survivor and supporter Gary Grandmaison. Former Buffalo Bills team captain Sherman White and his fivesome - Joe Rodela, Adam Tracy, Will Harbourne and Eli Gage - had the winning score.

The tournament raised more than $100,000.



PENINSULA COLLEGE FUND AWARDS

The Peninsula College Fund held its second annual awards ceremony on June 28 at Menlo School in Atherton. Seven graduates from East Palo Alto High School, Eastside College Prep Academy, Menlo-Atherton High School and Woodside High School received four-year scholarships for $3,000 per year.

The students and scholarship donors met for the first time at the ceremony. Bill Summerville of the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (administrators of the Peninsula College Fund) narrrated the legend of the Native American dream catchers, which were special nets used to capture good dreams. He made the analogy that the scholarship donors were like dream catchers that made the students'college dreams come true, allowing them to attend their first choice schools. Menlo School's Head of School Norm Colb, who donated the use of the campus for the awards, was also saluted as a "dream catcher."

Two years ago, fund coordinator Charles Schmuck along with Francesca Eastman, Mike Hawkes, Phil Ekedahl, Joan Harlem and Les DeWitt started the scholarship fund to help gifted and underrepresented students from East Palo Alto, East Menlo Park and Redwood City. The need-based program targets students who are often overlooked by other scholarship programs.

All of the scholarship awardees excelled in academics and participated in community activities. Woodside High School graduate Jessica Vazquez plans to be a pediatrician and will attend Mills College, while her Woodside classmate Manuel Castro plans to major in communications at the University of California, Davis.

University of California schools were popular choices among the students. East Palo Alto High School graduate Mayra Gomez will be attending UC-Berkeley along with Cesar Sanchez from Eastside Prep. Menlo-Atherton graduates Luis Pimentel and Sergio Zamora will be attending UC-Santa Cruz for political science and psychology respectively, while Elisabeth Magana will attend UCLA.

Applauding "the smiling seven" were the founders followed by Georgi La Berge, Ed Goodstein, Greg Stern, Julie Hawkes and Kathleen Fitzgerald.

Janet Duca Norton's society column appears every Sunday in the Daily News. Send event information to 324 High St., Palo Alto, CA 94301, or e-mail society@paloaltodailynews.com or call (650) 327-9090, ext. 334.