KEN VENTURI HOSTS BLIND GOLF TOURNAMENT

Ken Venturi will host the 24th annual Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic June 10-11, 2001 in Mount Kisco, NY and Armonk, NY. The tournament will feature the top blind golfers from around the world. Proceeds of the tournament will benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization that provides professional trained guide dogs to visually impaired men and women.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Richard Brooks
The Hamilton Group
917-532-9953

Christina Campanile
National Media Group
212-424-0112

24th KEN VENTURI GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND GOLF CLASSIC SLATED FOR JUNE 10-11
Westchester County Tournament Has Raised More Than
$5.5 Million to Provide Guide Dogs for the Blind

Yorktown Heights, NY, March 19, 2001 -- The Ken Venturi Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic will be held June 10 and 11, 2001 at Whippoorwill Club in Armonk, NY and the Mount Kisco Country Club, Mount Kisco, NY. This is the 24th year that the tournament has been held to raise awareness and money for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization dedicated to providing visually impaired men and women with professionally trained Guiding Eyes guide dogs.
   Professional golfer and CBS golf commentator Ken Venturi serves as host of the event, which has raised more than $5.5 million for the organization since it was first played in 1977.
   The Classic features two days of golf competition. On Sunday, June 10 the 16 best blind golfers from the United States, Canada and Great Britain, as determined by the United States Blind Golfers Association (USBGA), compete for the Corcoran Cup. To be eligible to participate in the tournament, the golfers must be totally blind and have three recorded 18-hole scores of 125 or under, attested by a PGA professional. Blind golfers, accompanied by their on-course sighted coaches, will compete at Mount Kisco Country Club in head-to-head medal play for the title. Last years tournament was captured by Keith Melick of Longwood, FL for the third consecutive time with a score of 113.

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   On June 11, corporate and individual participants play 18 holes at either Mount Kisco or Whippoorwill in a gala fundraiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. There they have the unique opportunity to play several rounds of golf with a member of the USBGA. In addition to golf, participants witness a demonstration showing how blind golfers and their coaches work together on the course. The day is capped off by a gala awards banquet, hosted by Ken Venturi.
The cost to prepare each Guiding Eyes guide dog team for graduation is approximately $30,000. This amount, which includes breeding, intensive training by a professional instructor, travel costs and room and board for the student for one month and a lifetime of follow-up support are all provided free-of-charge to Guiding Eyes students. Last year, Guiding Eyes for the Blind provided 160 expertly trained Guiding Eyes guide dogs to students from around the country. In 2000, the Ken Venturi Guiding Eyes Golf Classic netted nearly $300,000 for the organization, making it the most important fundraising event of the year.
Corporate sponsors and individual volunteers are major reasons for the continued success of the Ken Venturi Guiding Eyes Golf Classic. Various sponsorship and participation levels are available for amounts ranging from $750 for a hole sponsorship to a Platinum Level sponsorship at $10,000. Further information about sponsorships and participation is available from Ellen Thurm Holmon, Classic Director, at 914-243-2213, or golf@guiding-eyes.org.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind was founded in 1954 to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women. Since that time, Guiding Eyes has graduated more than 5,000 guide dog teams. The Guiding Eyes for the Blind is dedicated to providing visually impaired men and women with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity and new horizons of opportunity. Additional information is available from the organizations website at www.guiding-eyes.org.
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