Celebrity golf tournament in Baltimore: Come join us to help 'Cool Kids'

This is posting about a great celebrity golf event I’ll be playing in. It takes place Sunday and Monday June 14 and 15 in the Baltimore area. If you’re anywhere in the area or you want a quick get-away to the Mid-Atlantic States, you won’t regret the fun. The proceeds go to the Cool Kids Campaign which helps youngsters with cancer.

The Cool Kids Campaign Celebrity Golf Event is one of those events you will come back and play in year after year.

This year’s event is June 14 and 15 at Hunt Valley Golf Course in Phoenix, Maryland. That’s just outside Baltimore. I’ll be one of the celebrities from the d-list along with some A-listers. Former Baltimore Oriole Ken Singleton will be the host. They’re planning on other Oriole and Baltimore Colt greats. There’s a good chance Brooks Robinson will show up again. Last year, I played a round of golf with Colt Running Back Lydell Mitchell. And one group I was able to see the swings and one-liners of Oriole and Yankee great Rick Dempsey.

Last year’s event has a celebrity-only tourney. You can see parts of that tournament here in a show that I co-hosted with my old friend Lee Moore. We had plenty of fun despite the remnants of a hurricane coming through.

This year will be different. There will be no hurricane and no celebrity-only golf event. However, the portion of the event where a celebrity plays with three amateurs will remain. And I will be defending this part of the tourney since my team came in with a score of 18-under par last year. I’m just hoping my team – Steve Hargest, Davis Denis, Rich Belanger, and John Rosema – is ready. Chances are (my tongue planted deeply into my cheek) they might break us up so others can get a chance.

Even before I defend my championship, we’ll see some exhibitions from Long-Drive Champ Sean “The Beast” Fister and trick-shot artist and funnyman Buddy Shelton. (Yes, both of them are great to watch as you try to get into a consistent swing rhythm.)

Before the golf event, which will be on Monday, Sunday will be another full day. We’ll see a polo match. (Trust me, none of us will be mixing the horse vitamins.) And then at night we’ll be entertained by singer-songwriter D. Vincent Williams and Comedian Scott Henry.

Those guys I just mentioned help make this event so special. Sure, they’re talented, but more importantly, they’re great guys to be around. For instance, if you attend these events you will actually meet these guys, have some grub and thrown down some pops. I always walk away with new stories to re-tell.

Because this tournament has been in existence for a few years, it’s safe for you to participate. I often find that new tournaments have problems. The biggest problem is finding and getting rid of celebrities who are not prima donna pains-in-the-ass. This tournament has done that nicely. It’s as “family” as a tourney can get.

But the most important part of the weekend is the kids who are helped by the Cool Kids Campaign. The Belanger Federico Foundation was born out of the heart-break of losing family members to cancer. The family of Oriole shortstop Mark Belanger and Chris Federico who lost his mom to cancer have teamed up to create programs for kids that are enduring the fear of cancer and the treatment.

I left last year’s event with an encouraging feeling and a few tears. You not only meet the people who help the kids but you meet some of the kids and their families. Hopefully this year one of the Cool Kids biggest supporters – figure skating champ Kimmie Meissner – will be there. She won’t play golf. But she works directly with many of the kids in the Cool Kids Campaign.

I hope you’ll join us. All the details are here.