Benefit golf event nears

There’s still time to enter a foursome or sign up as an individual for the inaugural Lawrence Family Promise Celebrity Golf Classic set for a week from today at Lawrence Country Club.

The tourney — which includes a hot food buffet and auction (5 to 9 p.m., Sunday at Maceli’s) — benefits the Lawrence chapter of Family Promise, a faith-based, non-profit program designed to help homeless adults with children.

“There are a wide variety of items. It’s remarkable what people have donated for the auction,” said tourney organizer Joe Reitz, who founded the Lawrence chapter of Family Promise in 2008.

A list of the items and information on the tournament and auction is available at lawrencefamilypromise.org.

Some of the auction items: four club-level seats and parking for the Kansas University-Missouri football game at Arrowhead Stadium; admission to a prime rib and seafood buffet at LCC featuring a pep talk by former KU football coach Don Fambrough in advance of the KU-MU game; a private basketball clinic taught by honorary co-chairs Wayne Simien and Christian Moody; sets of tickets to KU football and basketball games; and tickets to a Notre Dame football game. There are also several non-sports items to be auctioned.

The tourney has drawn the support of 25 area churches, including former KU player Simien’s Morning Star Christian Church.

“I had worked with Joe Reitz before helping to provide shelter and other services to those families who couldn’t afford it,” Simien told the Journal-World in July. “So when he told me about Family Promise, I wanted to get involved with that. I think it’s a great cause and I’m glad to work with Joe Reitz again. With everything he’s done, he’s got a great heart.

“I’m glad to help out through my congregation,” Simien added. “Hopefully Christian and I can also put a name and a face to this tournament and help people get involved.”

The tournament is sponsored by Dale Willey Automotive. To sign up for the tourney or attend the dinner/auction, call 760-3395. Price of golf is $200 per person, which includes golf, cart, lunch, dinner and two tickets to the auction. One can also attend the auction only for $25.