HERSHEY, Pa. — For the Mid Penn Bank Celebrity Golf Classic, it starts with the cause... battling breast cancer. Then, it's the people.
Elite current and former professional athletes along with some entertainers show up to support the event every year. Throw in some competition with a unique golf shootout format and you have a growth formula for a fundraiser that gets bigger and better.
"It's all about the cause," insisted former Eagles Quarterback Ron "Jaws" Jaworski. "My wife is a survivor so I realize how important it is to make people aware of breast cancer and this is the eighth year. I have been here every single year to help raise that awareness and we raise a lot of money."
The event has raised nearly $700,000 for breast cancer charities with this year's classic supporting the Pa. Breast Cancer Coalition and Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine.
While the players are on the course for the shootout, Project Pink was underway in one of the pavilions at Hershey Country Club. Celebrity spouses, volunteers and breast cancer survivors put together "Friends Like Me" packages that are sent to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients or for those facing stage IV metastatic breast cancer.
"There is nothing more critical in your journey outside of your treatment plan than being lifted up by those who care about you and being inspired by other people's journeys," explained Tournament Director Keli Falco.
Mid Penn Bank was founded in 1868 and has 48 locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.