"Fore!" the golfer shouts. But on Saturday, Feb. 29, at the Old Mill in South Salt Lake, the cry will be "For!" The Chili Open Golf Classic is a fund raiser FOR the American Lung Association of Utah's Childhood Asthma Program, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Tracy Aviary, Utah Boys Ranch, Sugar House Boys and Girls Club, Donated Dental Services, Autistic Teaching Center for Adolescents and the Special Olympics.
Four great reasons to tee off with this event are: golf, food, music and wintertime fun, according to Dana Tumpowsky of the Sugar House Rotary Club.University of Utah coach Ron McBride is the honorary host for the event sponsored by R.C. Willey Home Furnishings. The Sugar House Rotary Club is coordinating the golf tournament.
The idea of a chili open golf classic originated in 1976 in two Ohio cities, Akron and Cleveland. But the real inspiration came from a northern Illinois tradition of driving golf balls down a frozen lake. Sugar House Rotary President Wally Brown hopes the idea will "snowball" in Utah.
Last year 1,000 golfers participated in a Poland, Ohio, Rotary classic that earned $100,000 for charities. This Rotary owns all the franchise and copyrights to the Chili Open and is offering the event to needy organizations throughout the United States.
The Sugar House Rotary Club is inviting corporations, businesses and individuals to purchase sponsorship packages and program advertising. Contact Greg Leonard, at 944-8450, for more information.
The golf tournament will begin at 10 a.m. and will feature four nine-hole "courses," chili and hot and cold refreshments throughout the day - all to the beat of a mariachi band.
There will be prizes and giveaways such as music tapes, ski passes and restaurant gift certificates. Print, radio and broadcast media are also supporting this fund raiser by providing public service announcements. KBER Radio deejays are challenging other radio stations to a duel of nine-irons, wedges and putters.
Bill Childs, CEO of R.C. Willey's invites charitable givers and golf lovers alike to sign up for the Chili Open.
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(Additional information)
A `tee' party
What: The R.C. Willey Chili Open Golf Classic
When: Saturday, Feb. 29th
Fee: $30 per person, tax-deductible
For: Utah Boys Ranch, Utah Special Olympics, Sugar House Boys and Girls Club, Utah Autism Preschool Program, Salt Lake Donated Dystrophy Association, Tracy Aviary and American Lung Association of Utah (Childhood Asthma Program).
Contact: D. Wall at 272-3176 or mail checks to Sugar House Rotary Chili Open, 1468 E. 4200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84124. Captains of foursomes will be notified of tee times.