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SALT LAKE CITY (September 19, 2008) -- The Deron Williams Point of Hope Foundation announced today the details of the Second Annual Deron Williams Celebrity Golf Classic, which will be held September 22 in Lehi.
The tournament will be held Monday, September 22 at Thanksgiving Point Golf Course and the title sponsor of the event is Silverleaf Companies.
Williams will be joined by several NBA players including Utah Jazz teammates and coaches as well as other celebrities including Notre Dame football legend Rudy Ruettiger.
Williams, along with his fellow competitors, will be available to the media from 12- 12:15 p.m. on Monday, September 22 at the Thanksgiving Point clubhouse. This will be the only media availability of the tournament. Media planning to attend should contact Kevin Kaplan, tournament director, at (888) 599-4483.
Proceeds will benefit autism support and other charitable programs sponsored by the Point of Hope Foundation.
"I am pleased to announce that the Salt Lake City based Carmen B. Pingree Center for Children with Autism will be one of the beneficiaries of the Second Annual Deron Williams Celebrity Golf Classic," said Deron Williams. "Having seen the challenges of autism, I am committed to doing my part to help overcome this developmental disorder."
"The Carmen B. Pingree Center for Children with Autism is extremely honored to be selected by the Deron Williams Point of Hope Foundation as one of the beneficiaries of this great event," said Peter Nicholas, Ph.D., Director of the Carmen B. Pingree Center for Children with Autism. "We are so appreciative of his generosity and support of our organization."
Proceeds will also support Point of Hope programs similar to the Christmas dinner hosted by Deron Williams at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar last December for single moms and their children. Participants received holiday gifts and a first-class meal, while several Utah Jazz players were in attendance.
In addition to Silverleaf Companies, other sponsors of the event include Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center, Vitamin Water and Nike.
Shane Baldwin, Co-CEO of Salt Lake City based Silverleaf Companies stated, "Our company is proud to be associated with Deron Williams. He has demonstrated an amazing commitment to our community."
Serving as this year's Golf Classic Honorary Chairman and Chairwoman are Barry and Amy Baker of Park City, Utah. Barry, former president of USA Networks, is currently managing director for Boston Ventures Management, Inc. Amy is a 20-year veteran of NBC and has been very active with numerous charitable boards and organizations nationally and in Utah.
"Barry and I are honored to lend our time and energy to support Deron Williams and the Point of Hope Foundation. Deron is an outstanding person who is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others," commented Amy Baker.
For more information on the Second Annual Deron Williams Celebrity Golf Classic, please visit www.DeronWilliams.net or contact Kevin Kaplan, tournament director, at (888) 599-4483.
About the Deron Williams Point of Hope Foundation
The Deron Williams Point of Hope Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for needy families of children as well as other charitable causes. The Foundation has awarded nearly $100,000 in grants and programs since being established in 2004, including a gift to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
About the Carmen B. Pingree Center for Children with Autism
The school is named for Carmen B. Pingree, a parent of a child with autism, who spearheaded a movement in the late 1970's to get funding to operate a pre-school for children with autism in Utah. In 1998, David and Susan Spafford created a vision for an elementary school to serve nearly 250 children with autism by establishing a $10 million endowment with an additional $1 million provided by Valley Mental Health. On November 21, 2002, thanks to many in the community that vision became a reality. Over 700 people helped celebrate the opening of the new Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism. Operated by Valley Mental Health, the school is a successful example of a private/public partnership. It provides educational services to students by conducting and supporting research into the cause of autism and its eventual cure. They assist families in coping with the challenges presented by autism, and train current and future teachers and professionals in the best practices and procedures.
