LEXINGTON, Ky. – In a one-of-a-kind auction that concluded on Black Friday, more than 100 college basketball coaches and national celebrities joined forces to raise more than $200,000 to assist Coaches vs. Cancer in its continuing battle against cancer. The Coaches vs. Cancer “Member for a Day” Golf Auction, presented by MGM Resorts International, had each participating coach or celebrity donate a round of golf, with them, at the club of their choice.
The auction totaled $216,905 with the top bid of $22,100 going to the round with baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr., who offered up an outing at Michael Jordan’s new course, Grove XXIII, in Hobe Sound, Fla. North Carolina head coach Roy Williams led the way for the college coaches, donating a round of golf at Pinehurst #2 which sold for $17,600.
“We are extremely pleased with the response we received from this auction, especially given the fundraising challenges we are facing during the pandemic,” said Howard Byck, Senior Vice President at the American Cancer Society, which partners with the National Association of Basketball Coaches for the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. “These coaches and celebrities donated their precious time to make sure we were successful in this effort. We are so thankful for their continued support in the fight against cancer.”
Other notable auction items included a round at Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta for $14,602 with an undisclosed celebrity, an outing with Iona coach Rick Pitino at Winged Foot which sold for $9,300, a round with Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley at DC Ranch that netted $6,100 and 18 holes with broadcast analyst Clark Kellogg, at an undisclosed premium course in New Albany, Ohio, which brought in $4,600.
More than $20,000 was generated between two rounds of golf at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, both of which includes stays at an MGM Resorts property. PGA TOUR golfer Pat Perez donated a round that brought in $15,433 while an outing with Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger netted $5,750. Kruger also donated a round at Southern Hills in Tulsa, which netted $4,400. Kruger has long been a supporter of Coaches vs. Cancer, annually generating more than $1 million from his own golf tournament each May in Las Vegas.
Kruger said, “When bdG Sports paired Member for a Day with our Coaches vs Cancer initiative, we were hopeful we could get a handful of coaches to participate and generate a few dollars. We have been thrilled with the results, both in the number of coaches and celebrities choosing to participate and the dollars we were able to raise with the first-time auction. The bid winners are in for a unique experience, spending 18 holes with their coach or celebrity, and creating memories for a lifetime.”
For a complete list of auction items, visit https://cvc.memberforaday.co/coachesvscancer.