This sporty phrase would best describe Thursday?s 2006 Celebrity Golf Classic. This four day event kicked off at Phillips Seafood headquarters in Baltimore with a meet-and-greet cocktail party that was “par” none. Guests were greeted by Belanger-Federico-Pitterich Foundation?s vice president and tournament director, Adam S. Gladstone, who was all sorts of pumped up as the celebs came filing in.
Spotted right off the bat was former NFL QB Jim McMahon; Hollywood actor Ed Marinaro, widely known for his role in the popular series of “Hill Street Blues,” before which he was a superstar at Cornell University, where he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and also went on to have five seasons in the NFL; Orioles Scott McGregor; and my favorite, ESPN?s “Gameday Uncensored” and former Baltimore Colt, Tom Matte.
Sponsors rubbed elbows with the formerpros including the guys from Group Insurance Solutions Inc., Mark McWright and Gregory Mayer, while others wolfed down the signature Phillips crabcakes.
This was only phase one of this evening?s festivities, beautiful yachts arrived to pick up the partygoers and transport them to Bo Brooks for a crab feast. The beautiful gang from Radcliffe jewelers led by Renee Greene and Angela Class were very busy exhibiting the evening?s beautiful auction items. There?s nothing better than watching non-Baltimoreans try to eat crabs, but foundation President Christopher Federico was on hand to give his homegrown crab-eating knowledge. Others enjoying the night were Baltimore?s top parking chief Peter Collier, Smith Sports Ltd.?s Gregory Smith, Patrick Horan, Assistant Tourney Director Kim Daniel and WBAL?s “Detour” Dave Sandler, to name a few.
The efforts of this homegrown committee and the pros at Maroon Public Relations were evident in the details of putting on this four-day party with a little golf thrown in at Mountain Branch, in Harford County. Funds raised from this event will go to fight childhood disease and lung cancer, a cause very near and dear to Rob Belanger, son of former O?s great Mark “The Blade” Belanger, who died from cancer in the late 1990s.
Special thanks to another local guy, Steve Geppi, of Geppi Entertainment, who served as the title sponsor for this fun event. For more information on this organization, go to bfpf.org or call 410-560-1770.
DID YOU KNOW
The National James Baldwin Literary Society is hosting a bus trip to New York City to see Grammy-winning R&B singer Usher on Broadway in “Chicago – The Musical.” The bus will depart at 12.30 p.m. on Saturday, and return at 2 a.m. If you are interested, contact Downtown Kevin Brown at 410-433-5383 or go to culturalartsandtravelsociety.com for more details.
Anne Boone-Simanski is the society columnist for The Examiner and can be reached at [email protected] or 410-878-6131.
