VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA

Denver

News: Andre Dawson, a 2010 inductee to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, is the celebrity guest for the 18th Legends Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for Volunteers of America-Colorado. It takes place Aug. 18 at Sanctuary, the private, award-winning golf course owned by Dave and Gail Liniger, the founders of RE/MAX Realty.

The tournament gets underway with a Players Party held at the Denver ChopHouse on Aug. 17. There, players and guests will have the opportunity to be photographed with Dawson, swap baseball stories and bid in a live auction.

Tournament coordinator Denise Robert thanks the easing of COVID protocols for the fact that the traditional Players Party can be held this year.

“At the time we announced the tournament and printed the brochure, pandemic protocols would never had permitted us to host an indoor party,” she said. “But we booked the date. Held our breath. Crossed our fingers. And restrictions lifted. Yay!”

“Andre Dawson is a terrific choice for our tournament,” said Dave Schunk, the president and chief executive officer of VOA-Colorado. “He’s a celebrated player who has a permanent place in American baseball lore. I can’t wait to hear the stories he has to tell.”

Previous celebrity players include Rollie Fingers, Dante Bichette, Goose Gossage, Todd Helton and Jim Palmer.

At his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ryne Sandberg, former second baseman for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, said of Dawson: “No player in baseball history has worked harder, suffered more or did better than Andre Dawson. “He’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

Nicknamed “The Hawk” for his keen eye at the plate, Dawson played outfield for the Expos, Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins. Despite 12 knee surgeries, he powered through to become the second player in baseball history to reach 400 home runs and 500 stolen bases. He hit his 400th career dinger on April 15, 1993.

Tickets for the Players Party are $100 and can be purchased by emailing Denise@DeniseRobert.com. Tournament tickets are $5,000 per foursome or $6,000 per foursome with hole sponsorship. A single hole sponsorship is $1,000.

About the organization: Now in its 125th year, VOA-Colorado feeds the hungry, offers housing for those who need shelter and helps those in need of community support services. It served 150,000 Coloradans in 2020.

Website: voacolorado.org

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