Gerald Henderson Sr. Wins The 5th Anniversary Julius Erving Golf Classic At The Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa In Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Sept. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Julius 'Dr. J' Erving, Hall of Fame basketball forward, legend and icon spent his weekend in Atlantic City, New Jersey hosting the fifth annual Julius Erving Golf Classic. The three-day experience welcomed celebrities, golfers, fellow sports legends and guests for a one-of-a-kind weekend of sports and entertainment in support of the Salvation Army, an organization that rightfully helped Erving learn and evolve within the game of basketball, and Grab A Ball & Play, an organization run by Erving's daughter, Jazmin.

The weekend kicked off on September 7, with the Erving Youth Basketball clinic presented by the Philadelphia 76ers, Toyota and Jefferson held at the new state-of-the-art Sixers Training Complex, currently the largest training complex in the NBA. Youth from the Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia and Camden New Jersey joined Erving, Sixers shooting guard Mattise Thybulle and the Jefferson University's Women's Basketball Team alongside head coach, Tom Shirley out on the court to practice their basketball skills. After an energetic clinic of shooting and layup drills, Erving, Thybulle, Shirley, Jazmin and Archie Berwick, Sixers in-arena host, participated in a Q&A touching on topics ranging from the importance of education, leadership in the classroom and on the court, career advice, and greatest lessons learned. Grab a Ball & Play also presented each participant with a basketball to take home, while Chick-fil-A provided lunch for the group, and all participants took a group picture with the Chick-fil-A cow mascot.

Later that evening invited guests joined Erving and his wife Dorys for a the Erving Welcome Cocktail Reception at Level One Cocktail Bar & Lounge at Borgata featuring signature cocktails, including the "Mr. Erving" with peach and Japanese whiskey; the "Mrs. Erving" with Bombay dirty gin, Noilly Prat dry vermouth, bitters and garnished with blue cheese stuffed olives on a rosemary sprig; and "The Icon" with Bombay gin, rose water, fresh lime juice, simple syrup and garnished with mint leaves, a cucumber ice cube, and carnation.

On the evening of September 8, guests dressed in their finest attire and headed to the weekend's Erving Red Carpet & Pairings Party at Premier Nightclub at The Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa. Hosted by ESPN's Jay Harris, professional golfer and fashion designer Seema Sadekar, the evening featured some of the most influential athletes and entertainers who honored Erving for his contributions both on and off the court and the five-year tradition of the Julius Erving Golf Classic. A special painting was presented to Erving from NBA LAB Artist, Billi Kid, in which both Kid and Erving signed for the silent auction. NFL Hall of Fame Legend Marcus Allen and NBA Hall of Fame Legend Charles Barkley were welcomed to the stage by Harris and Sadekar to introduce the powerful Erving highlight video and brought Erving up to the stage. Erving spoke to the celebrities, guests and participants and shared special stories and moments from his iconic journey through life.

Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed delicious cuisine presented by Borgata, decadent desserts by The Treat Box Dessert Bar & Cafe, dancing, and a special musical performance from rapper and record producer Doug E. Fresh played a selection of oldies before performing his duet "Shine a Light on Em" with Will Taxx while freestyle beatboxing for the crowd. At the close of the event, singers-songwriters Johnny Gill and Jeffrey Osborne joined Fresh and Taxx on stage to perform Maze's "Before I Let You Go" and L.T.D.'s "Back in Love Again," as Erving, Mike Woodson and Flex Anderson joined them and danced into the night.

The event concluded on September 9 as partners and guests headed to the Atlantic City Country Club to tee-it-up in the official Julius Erving Golf Classic Tournament, featuring the highly anticipated "Erving Museum" filled with iconic pictures from Erving's career, along with custom Sixers jersey-inspired caddie bibs. The day began with the opening ceremony presented by Jefferson and emceed by Sixers' in-arena host Christian Crosby. Captain Frank Picciotto, commanding officer of the Atlantic City Salvation Army Corps, thanked everyone for attending and spoke about the importance of the Salvation Army before Crosby introduced Erving and all the celebrities to come forward. Julius spoke about the special day ahead and Philadelphia singer Jesse Kyle sang an emotional rendition of the National Anthem before golfers headed onto the course.

"This has been an unbelievable weekend," said Erving. "Every year, this event becomes better and better due to our dedicated partners and guests who I'm so honored to share this event and these memories with The Salvation Army is very close to my heart. It's an organization dedicated to helping local communities and setting people up for success to pursue their own unique passions, so I'm glad all our efforts here can contribute to this outstanding mission."

While guests played the course, the ladies headed to "Cocktails with Dorys" featuring a Sip, Swing and Sparkle theme hosted by Erving's wife, Dorys Erving and Bryan Gallyot, Erving Correspondent and Personality. In between sipping on cocktails and enjoying light bites, the ladies were able to practice their skills with LPGA Tour professional golfers Shasta Averyhardt and Sadena Parks and Golf Personality Miko Page at the Atlantic City Country Club's golf course simulators.    

The "Erving Playoffs" presented by Toyota determined the Erving Classic winners. All playoff participants and celebrities made their way to the 18th Par-5 finishing hole tee-box. The winner was announced through a celebrity-amateur two-man alternate shot format competition in which the top three placing celebrities selected one amateur in their respective teams to compete. The top three 2019 celebrity teams were Gerald Henderson Jr., Gerald Henderson Sr. and Victor Green.

Guests cheered and swarmed the 18th fairway and green to watch each team make their way down the Par-4 18th Hole. Team Gerald Henderson Sr. alongside teammates Philadelphia Sports Reporter Dei Lynum and Toronto natives Anil Sadekar, Don Adamson and Richard Alvarez were awarded 2019 Julius Erving Golf Classic winning title. The crowd gathered around the green to celebrate the win, and made their way into the Clubhouse for the Erving Closing Awards & Ceremony presented by Delta Air Lines, Toyota and MGM Resorts International.

"It is such an honor to be able to come here each year for Julius. We started out thinking that we didn't have much of a chance, but as the round went along, we really made some clutch putts and had great team energy," said NBA Legend and Philadelphia 76ers Star Gerald Henderson Sr.

Past Julius Erving Classic Winners Include:
2015 Champion, Team Joe Carter @ Aronimink Golf Club
2016 Champion, Team Marcus Allen @ The ACE Club
2017 Champion, Team John Starks @ The ACE Club
2018 Champion, Team Winky Wright @ St. David's Golf Club

Supermodel Beverly Johnson and Actor & Comedian Chris Tucker won best dressed awards presented by DIOR. Guests continued to enjoy signature cocktails in the Atlantic City Country Club clubhouse and patio through the evening.

2019 Erving celebrity guests included former NBA and WNBA stars Charles Barkley, Alonzo Mourning, John Starks, Reggie Theus, Mike Woodson, Greg Anthony, Gerald Henderson Sr., Gerald Henderson Sr. Clyde Drexler, Jimmy Jackson, Festus Ezeli, Ron Harper, and Nancy Lieberman; MLB and Hall of Fame legend Ozzie Smith; boxer and Hall of Fame star Winky Wright; R&B legends Jeffrey Osborne and Johnny Gill; actors and comedians Chris Tucker and Flex Alexander; former NFL Legends, Ahmad Rashad, Victor Green, Seth Joyner, Mike Quick, Keith Byars, and Marcus Allen; R&B star Johnny Gill; former supermodel Beverly Johnson; and many more.

NOTABLE ERVING CLASSIC PARTNERS: MGM Resorts International, Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa, Delta Air Lines, Toyota, Jefferson, Converse, Dior, The Philadelphia 76ers, Insight Medical Group, Southern Company, Sadekar Enterprises, Diverse Public Media Group, Gibbs Financial Group, PXG, Roots of Fight, Big Mountain Printing, Kellstrom Defense, Upper Deck, and many more.

ABOUT THE JULIUS ERVING GOLF CLASSIC
The event, run by Play Golf Designs, Inc., celebrates the achievements of Julius "Dr.J" Erving in the city of Philadelphia with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Salvation Army, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing comfort, food, shelter and care to the needy around the world. The event also benefits Grab A Ball & Play, an organization that gifts athletic balls to children who are underprivileged, as well as DEFY, an organization that provides healthy meals and nutritional development to children who struggle with obesity. VIP Packages for the Julius Erving Golf Classic can be tailored to include golf, hospitality, and invitations to the private parties. For information on Erving tickets, packages and experiences call Play Golf Designs Inc. 310.926.4075 or email info(at)playgolfdesigns.com. For media inquiries: Olivia Gracey at [email protected].

ABOUT PGD GLOBAL
Play Golf Designs, Inc. (PGD Global) is a golf marketing & event company, directing and participating in luxury events for some of the world's most legendary athletes, brands, entertainers and organizations including Coach Mike Woodson, Julius Erving, Chris Tucker, Jeffrey Osborne, Viacom, The Broadcasters Foundation of America, The Calvin Peete Foundation, Diageo and MGM Resorts International. PGD blends pop culture and entertainment, creating the most unique, innovative golf events and experiences for each client. PGD Global focuses on celebrating diversity and inclusion in golf while welcoming women to the game with open arms. Specializing in connecting golf to the modern world of trends and fashion, PGD Global operates golf and lifestyle events and experiences all around the country, welcoming new golfers and businesses to the game. More info: http://pgdglobal.com.

ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL
MGM Resorts International is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 30 unique hotel and destination gaming offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company recently acquired the operations of Empire City Casino in New York and Hard Rock Rock Casino in Ohio, which was rebranded as MGM Northfield Park. In 2018, MGM Resorts opened MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM COTAI in Macau, and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. The 82,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at http://www.mgmresorts.com.

ABOUT BORGATA HOTEL, CASINO & SPA
Located in Atlantic City's Marina District, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa features 2,000 guest rooms and suites; 106,000 square feet of event space; 161,000 square feet of gaming; 187 table games; 2,825 slot machines; a 75+ table poker room; a race and sports book; 11 retail boutiques; 5 acclaimed fine dining restaurants by renowned chefs; 10 casual dining options; a 54,000 square foot spa; 20,000 square foot indoor/outdoor pool and garden; 32,000 square foot outdoor pool; 4 signature nightlife experiences; and parking for 7,100 cars. The market-leading resort also features Atlantic City's first cosmopolitan hotel experience, The Water Club at Borgata, with 800 guest rooms and suites; a 36,000 square foot spa; 6 designer retail boutiques; and 5 heated indoor and outdoor pools. Borgata offers online gaming within the state of New Jersey through its real-money gaming sites,
http://www.BorgataCasino.com, and sports.borgataonline.com. Borgata is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International. For more information about Borgata, please visit http://www.theborgata.com or follow Borgata on Facebook and Twitter.

Please direct media inquiries to Liza Costandino (609.317.7759; lizacostandino(at)theborgata(dot)com) and Brian Brennan (609.317.7160; brianbrennan(at)theborgata(dot)com). Join Borgata's Press Club here.

ABOUT ATLANTIC CITY COUNTRY CLUB
This legendary course, named the number one public/daily fee golf course in New Jersey, is also home to the century-old Taproom Bar & Grille. As one of America's oldest and most prolific golf clubs, Atlantic City Country Club has been home to many firsts, including being the "Birthplace of the Birdie." The earliest traditions of this seaside links course are still evident today. Finely manicured fairways and large sloping green complexes protected by deep sand bunkers remain the course's signature as it did more than a century ago. Long carries over natural ponds and salt water marshes also make the course a formidable challenge for any golfer. Shifting breezes, the distinct scent of saltwater, and windswept fescue only add to the total experience. It's no wonder Atlantic City Country Club is named the #1 Public Golf Course in the State of NJ by Golf Week, Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. For more information please visit: https://accountryclub.com/

ABOUT JEFFERSON
Jefferson, located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is 30,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st century careers, and discovering new treatments to define the future of care. Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University), home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, dates back to 1824 and today is comprised of nine colleges and four schools offering 160 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 7,800 students. Jefferson Health serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 14 hospitals and over 40 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region.

ABOUT TOYOTA
Toyota, creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we've built more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

ABOUT DELTA
Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each year. In 2018, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the seventh time in eight years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for eight consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and Delta connection carriers offer service to 323 destinations in 56 countries on six continents. Headquarters in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the Skyteam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London Heathrow, Paris- Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Seoul, and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as http://www.Delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub and http://www.Facebook.com/Delta.

ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the most storied franchises in the National Basketball Association, having won three World Championships, earning nine trips to The Finals and making 49 playoff appearances over 70 seasons. The Philadelphia 76ers organization is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property. For more information about the 76ers please visit http://www.nba.com/sixers/ or follow the 76ers @Sixers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

SOURCE Julius Erving Golf Classic