Friday, September 16, 2022
Beaumont Health Foundation and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation hosted the Feldman Automotive Children’s Miracle Celebrity Invitational on August 29 at the Detroit Golf Club. The event raised more than $1 million in sponsorship support before the event and secured additional funds during the tournament through a live auction and on-site donations. The event supports the Children’s Miracle Network at Beaumont Children’s and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.
This celebrity golf event allowed foursomes to enjoy an up-close and personal celebrity pairing with guests such as actors Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Chapman, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, and Hisham Tawfiq, as well as sports stars including boxing greats Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, Evander Holyfield and Micky Ward; NHL greats Ron Duguay, Jiri Fischer, Mike Keenan, Stephane Matteau, and Jeremy Roenick; PGA golfer Ted Purdy; NFL greats OJ Anderson, Jerome Bettis and Calvin Johnson; MBA greats Kenny Anderson, Ron Harper and Otis Birdsong; MLB great Jeff Nelson; and dozens of other national and local celebrities from the world of entertainment and professional sports.
The morning began with Mark Wahlberg speaking to three children via Zoom on a large video wall. These children represented the more than 200,000 children treated at Beaumont Children’s each year.
After golf, a spirited live auction raised $260,000 with bidding on a private tour of Rick Hendrick’s Automotive Heritage Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted and donated by Jay and Aaron Feldman; an Italian villa vacation, donated by the Rugiero Family; a Play Yellow Invitational package, donated by Play Yellow CMN; a stay at the Celani Family Vineyard, donated by Tom & Vicki Celani and Celani Family Vineyards; dinner in the Celani Wine Cellar, donated by Tom & Vicki Celani, and other experiences. A benevolent paddle raise collected $60,000 of additional donations.
The celebrity invitational was generously supported several community and corporate leaders including title sponsor, the Feldman Automotive Group; lead presenting sponsor Quantum Ventures; presenting sponsors Beaumont, TBK Productions and Vesco Oil; and supporting sponsors CIBC, the Celani Family Foundation, the Aaron and Carolynn Frankel Foundation, Mayde Corp., Shift Signal, US Signal, AHEAD, CBTS, and Roncelli. Whitlock Business Systems hosted an over-the-top sponsor shop with luxury gifts for all the 280 golfers. Sketchers also participated as the official shoe sponsor and gifted Sketchers golf shoes to all tournament players as a thank you for their involvement. There were more than 50 other generous donors that made this fundraising event possible.
Support of the Children’s Miracle Network at Beaumont Children’s provides life-saving services, vital pediatric equipment and funds for patient scholarships given to families unable to afford needed care. The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation will utilize funds to improve the quality of life for youth in Detroit, Boston and nationwide, by providing financial resources and community support to youth services.
A dedicated committee of community members worked to develop this fundraising event. Led by co-chairs Tom Celani, Nino Cutraro, Jay Feldman, Ken Noonan, Bob Skandalaris and Sam Yamin, the fundraising committee also included these leaders: Daniel Arndt, MD, Margaret Cooney Casey, John Fragomeni, Dennis Fegan, Melanie Fisher, Aaron and Carolynn Frankel, Kate Gowans, MD, Melanie Hearsch, Lita Hoyer, Jim Oboyski, John Peetz, Patrick Rugiero, Alicia Scavona, Lori Sheridan, Richard Short, Jason and Alicia Strayhorn, Erica Surman, Jacqueline Thompson, Kevin Woods and Larry Wu.
