Jimmy V Celebrity Classic Preview 

By Larry Jones

     The level of golf won’t match that of Tiger Woods — heck, maybe not even Earl Woods — but if you want to see some of your favorite celebrities and sports personalties hack it around for a good cause, then The Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic is for you.

     The ninth annual event, named in honor of the late North Carolina State University basketball coach, is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 25 at its familiar home, Prestonwood Country Club in Cary.

What began as a way to create, develop and sustain a fund-raiser that embodies the spirit and energy of Valvano, who died of cancer, The Jimmy V has developed into one of the nation’s leading charity golf tournaments.

First held in 1994, The Jimmy V draws national sports figures and celebrities as participants. Among those scheduled to attend this year include crowd favorites such as Charles Barkley, the former NBA All-Star and now a studio analyst for TNT, former University of North Carolina and current Toronto Raptors’ star Vince Carter, Carolina Hurricanes’ standouts Ron Francis and Jeff O’Neill, ESPN college basketball guru Dick Vitale, former NFL quarterback Jim Kelly, onetime Harlem Globetrotters star Meadowlark Lemon, former WCW wrestler Bill Goldberg and Darius Rucker, the lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish.

“A lot of people think we pay a per diem to the celebrities, but we don’t,” said Mike Dixon, a public relations spokesman for the event. “They come because they want to be here and support cancer research.

“It’s really become a magical weekend. The gap between stardom and your everyday citizen is narrowed, with everyone working toward a common goal. That’s the spirit of the classic.”

The Jimmy V is the single largest fund-raiser for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Last year, proceeds from the tournament, which is preceded by a gala party and auction the previous night, donated $1 million to the V Foundation for Cancer Research, bringing the total donated in the eight tournaments that have been played thus far to almost $8 million.

Each year, more than 1,200 volunteers, 75 sponsors and nearly 100 celebrities team up for the classic and its related events. For more information, visit www.golfclassic.org.