In a record-breaking year, more than 45 Hall of Fame football and basketball players will step onto the golf courses of Lansdowne Resort, Sunday, July 8, for the 17th annual Bobby Mitchell/Toyota Hall of Fame Golf Classic.
Mitchell, a former Washington Redskin, founded the tournament almost 20 years ago with the help of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, but has committed to helping find a cure for leukemia since his days of playing football.
"I was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Washington Redskins for Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis in 1962," Mitchell said in a release.
Davis was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after the trade and never got to play a single down of professional football. Davis died at the age of 23.
Several new Hall of Fame inductees are joining Mitchell for the tournament this year, including former St. Louis Cardinal Roger Wehrli, Charlie Sanders from the Detroit Lions and Rayfield Wright from the Dallas Cowboys.
For a $5 donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, fans will have gallery access to a total of eight holes on the Robert Trent Jones Jr. course and the Greg Norman-designed course. The event is free for children under the age of 12.
Fans of all ages will have the chance to put their skills to the test in two different contests. Adult attendees can take part in the Hall of Fame Challenge, which consists of a football toss, a basketball free-throw shot and a putt. The contest makes participants eligible for a trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies, Aug. 3-6.
"The prize includes an SUV rental and hotel accommodations in Canton, Ohio," Jennifer Bortz, public relations associate for the event, said.
For children under 12 who are accompanied by an adult there will be a putting contest for the chance to win an Apple iPod in the Putting Contest for Kids.
The first attempt in both contests is free, with each additional attempt available for another $5 donation.
Last year, the tournament raised more than $700,000 for the society, bringing the total donation for the life of the tournament to more than $5 million in 16 years. This year, organizers of the event have a very simple goal.
"We just want to break last year’s total," Bortz said.
For more information about the event visit www.bobbymitchell.com.