The Olde Farm Golf Club: Golf Legends Nicklaus, Palmer, Player Team Up for Children’s Charity Event at The Olde Farm
For immediate release: Feb. 11, 2010 For more information, contact Marc Eubanks at 276-669-1042.
Golf Legends Nicklaus, Palmer, Player Team Up for Children’s Charity Event at The Olde Farm
BRISTOL, Va. — Three of the world’s renowned golf legends are coming to Bristol, Va., this summer to join forces and raise money for children attending Mountain Mission School, located in Grundy, Va. On June 8, The Olde Farm will host golf’s “Big 3” – Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player – in a charity event to benefit the children and establish a sustained endowment for Mountain Mission School.
The Big 3 for Mountain Mission Kids – sponsored by Johnson & Johnson – is a unique, one-day golf event featuring a 19-hole scramble match pairing Nicklaus, Palmer and Player competing with three different amateur sponsor teams on each hole.
“The game of golf doesn’t get any better than this, and neither does fundraising,” says Jim McGlothlin, founder of The Olde Farm and a native of the Grundy area, located in Buchanan County. “We are more than fortunate to have this trio of golf legends come to Bristol – and to have them playing to benefit the kids at Mountain Mission is very special. The day itself will be memorable, but the impact on this community of less-advantaged children in Grundy will be long-lasting, I can assure you.”
The Olde Farm club grounds will open at 9 a.m. on June 8, with introductions and a “Big 3” warm-up beginning at 12:30 p.m. The 19-hole scramble kicks off at 1 p.m., concluding at 5:30 p.m. with a presentation ceremony on the 19th hole.
“The Big 3 for Mountain Mission Kids complements the PGA TOUR’s 2010 theme, ‘Together, anything’s possible,’” says Tim Finchem, PGA TOUR Commissioner. “Last year the PGA TOUR – through our tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers – raised $108 million for charity, and this is just part of an even greater effort this year.”
A one-hour special about Mountain Mission School and The Big 3 for Mountain Mission Kids will air Sunday, July 11, from 2 to 3 p.m. EST prior to the final-round telecast of the PGA TOUR’s John Deere Classic on CBS.
The Mountain Mission School for Children, which will turn 90 years old in 2011, serves an average of 250 to 300 residential students each year. Sam Hurley – with the help of Dr. Josephus Hopwood and other individuals – founded the school in 1921 as a refuge, resource and relief for children in need by providing education, Christian ministry and a safe place to live. While a number of the kids have roots in the Appalachian region, the school has cared for children from nearly every state, the District of Columbia and many foreign countries.
Mountain Mission School employs more than 40 staff members, operates on private donations and receives no government funding. The school provides approximately 30,000 meals each month, as well as clothing for its students. The children also enjoy recreation rooms with pianos, computers and snack areas. Medical care for the children is arranged through local doctors, dentists and hospital facilities. The school offers grades Pre-K through 12, and students range from infants to 20-year-olds.
“We accept any child with a legitimate need that we can meet, whether it relates to economics, abuse, family emergencies, home stability or other issues,” says Cynthia Rodda, president of Mountain Mission School. “Our school offers love, acceptance and a great educational opportunity for as long as necessary. I can’t begin to explain how grateful the staff at Mountain Mission School is to Mr. McGlothlin, The Olde Farm and all those participating in the fundraiser.”
Nicklaus, Palmer and Player hold a combined total of 36 major championship titles, as well as numerous PGA TOUR and Champions TOUR event victories. Nicklaus has claimed 73 PGA TOUR wins, Palmer 62 and Player 24 – including The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. The three are actively involved in their own charities such as the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla.; the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Fla.; and The Player Foundation, which provides quality education, nutrition, medical care and extracurricular activities to needy children in his native South Africa.
The Olde Farm, located at 16639 Old Jonesboro Road in Bristol, is represented by 300 dedicated members who reside throughout the United States and are proud to come together for the Big 3 for Mountain Mission Kids tournament and give back to a worthwhile cause. The Olde Farm golf course, one of Golf Week’s Top 50 Modern Courses in America, features bent grass fairways, greens and tees in a beautifully sculptured natural setting. The course was ranked eighth in Golf Digest’s America’s 50 Greatest Golf Retreats in 2006. The Clubhouse – patterned after Castle Hill, a 200-year-old historic home in Charlottesville, Va. – is situated on the site of the area’s first home, built between 1748 and 1788 in a grove of oak trees, two of which still shade the grounds. The Long Barn, formerly a working tobacco barn, serves as a watering hole and way station. It is located in the middle of holes 6, 7, 13, 14 and 16.
Tickets are available for the June 8 event by calling 276-669-1042 or visiting
www.thebig3forthekids.com.