The Mount Laurel based nonprofit NFL Alumni Association for former players held its second annual Red, White and Blue Golf Classic on Nov.1.
The fundraising event was held at the Ron Jaworski Running Deer Golf Club in Pittsgrove and kicked off at 11 a.m. for golfers trying their luck on 18 holes. The teams were also paired with “celebrity” team captains who are former NFL players. They included Mike Quick, Lem Burnham and Jaworski.
Lem Burnham, a former Philadelphia Eagle, has a special connection to the event because of his military background in the Marines
“I have to be real honest, I’m a golf-aholic,” Burnham said. “After football, I made golf my sport of choice and I just can’t stay off of the golf course.”
During the golf contest, players had the opportunity to putt on a difficult hole for a chance to win new golf gear
The players and their respective captains were served dinner and heard speeches from NFL Alumni Association partner Eleve Health, who specializes in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, as well as National Football League Alumni (NFLA) CEO Beasley Reece. A silent auction featured iconic sports photos, including the infamous Brandon Graham strip sack during Super Bowl LII.
“It’s the camaraderie, but the main goal is the charity,” said Blair Thomas, former New York Jets running back. “You gotta raise money for different charities involved and get the chance to make a positive impact on those different charities.”
This golf classic’s beneficiary this year was Casey’s Companions, founded in 2014 to honor Casey Doolin, who was diagnosed with leukemia during her senior year at St. Joseph’s University. Doolin died at 23 in 2013. Casey’s Companions focuses on some of Doolin’s core values and provides assistance to law enforcement families and caregivers with children who have life-threatening illnesses.
“It’s nice to come out and get together with a lot of the alumni and those groups that support the alumni,” said Jaworski, former Eagles quarterback. “Without that sponsorship, people that believe in the work of the alumni, we wouldn’t be able to do events like this and help so many people throughout our country.”
For more information about the NFL Alumni, visit here. For more information about Casey’s Companions and where to donate or volunteer, click here.
