by Joe Yekulis
The Catholic TimesANN ARBOR — In the 19 years since former National Football League lineman Bill Wagner founded the St. Louis Center’s premier golf event, known as the “Golf and Glory” in 1994, there has never been a rainout.
But this year came close.
The organizers held their breath all morning on Tuesday June 25, as the rain poured down on the University of Michigan Golf Course. Remarkably, by 9:30 a.m. the rain stopped. And following a 30-minute delay of the 10 a.m. shotgun start; the clouds parted, the sun came out and another successful “Golf and Glory” outing was under way. One hundred forty-four golfers filled the course for this annual event in support of St. Louis Center in Chelsea.
This outing, founded by the retired Denver Bronco lineman, brings together many former NFL and college football players and officials to share their time with St. Louis Center’s supporters for a day of golf. SLC Board member Tom Nowatzke, president of the Detroit Lions Alumni Association, draws in the celebrity guests who play every year, while Detroit Pistons play-by-play announcer George Blaha is the celebrity chairman and Detroit Red Wings radio broadcaster Ken Kal is a regular supporter.
Locally, Norm Neuman of Chelsea and Ron Hingst of Pinckney chaired the event, which annually raises more than $60,000 for the St. Louis Center. David Helmer of Braun and Helmer Auction Service hosts a sports memorabilia auction after dinner. Eileen Augustine, who bought the winning ticket at St. Mary Parish in Chelsea, won the raffle for a seven-day Alaskan Cruise. Hers was one of more than 800 tickets sold for the drawing.
The night before, on Monday June 24, Paesano’s Restaurant owners Michael and Bridget Roddy hosted a $100-a-plate dinner for 50 people in honor of Fr. Fortunato Turati, SdC., who spent 30 years at St. Louis Center and is now working with the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence at Mount St. Joseph in Lake Zurich, Ill. The dinner was a separate part of the “Golf and Glory” festivities.
The St. Louis Center was established in 1960 and has been serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities for 53 years. For more information about St. Louis Center, visit www.stlouiscenter.org, or call Cindy Lesser at (734) 475-8430.
