York celebrity golf tournament has new name, same goal
Steve Heiser
717-505-5446/@ydsports
A golf event helping Special Olympics has been held in York for nearly three decades.
The tournament is now named after its founders, Eddie Khayat and George Tarasovic.
Since its inception, the tournament has raised more than $630,000.
A York County sports institution has changed its name, but the ultimate goal remains the same.
For nearly three decades, a celebrity golf tournament has been held on a Monday each June at Out Door Country Club to benefit York County Special Olympics.
This year, the 28th annual event is set for 12:30 p.m. Monday, June 20, again at Out Door. This year, however, instead of being called the York County Special Olympics Celebrity Golf Classic, it will tee off under a new name: The Eddie Khayat-George Tarasovic Celebrity Golf Classic.
The tournament committee decided to change the event's name to honor the tournament's founders. York County Special Olympics will continue to be the beneficiary of all proceeds raised. Khayat and Tarasovic are both former NFL players who came up with the idea for the tournament.
To date, the tournament has raised in excess of $630,000. The Platinum Sponsor for this year's event is the Victory Athletic Association.
Among the celebrities expected to come this year is Penn State men's basketball head coach Patrick Chambers, who will welcome his best recruiting class ever for the upcoming season. Chambers' assistant, Keith Urgo, is also expected.
The Edsall brothers are also set to appear. Randy Edsall is the former head football coach at UConn and Maryland and is now the Detroit Lions' director of football research and special projects. Duke Edsall is a longtime major college basketball official. Both Edsalls graduated from Susquehannock High School.
York resident Mark Hendrickson is on the guest list. Hendrickson is rare two-sport pro athlete, having pitched in the major leagues for multiple teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, after also playing in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.
As normal, the celebrity list will have a heavy dose of former pro football players, including: Red Lion High School graduate Scott Fitzkee, Ralph Baker, Maxie Baughan, Bill Bradley, John Bunting, Fred Miller, Maurice Canady, Andre Collins, Tony Covington, Tom Ehlers, Dan Ficca, Jean Fugett, Carl Gersbach, Mike Guman, Sam Havrilak, Carl Kammerer, Kent Kramer, Lydell Mitchell, Joe Pagliei, Pete Retzlaff, Glenn Ressler, Stan White, Calvin Williams, Joe Wilson, Bob Windsor and Steve Zabel.
After 27 years, York County Special Olympics Celebrity Golf Classic still going strong
Fitzkee, Collins, Guman Mitchell and Ressler enjoyed standout college careers at Penn State. Mitchell and Ressler are members of the College Football Hall of Fame, as is Baughan.
Some of the other expected guests are Cleveland Browns wideout Darius Jennings, former major leaguer Frank Bolick, former NBA player Barney Cable and Franklin and Marshall basketball coaching legend Glenn Robinson.
Reach Steve Heiser at sheiser@yorkdispatch.com.