Rocky Bleier to Participate in St. Barnabas Golf Open
Proceeds benefit St. Barnabas Free Care Fund
Gibsonia, Pa. - May 17, 2006 - Rocky Bleier, the legendary running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and four-time Super Bowl champion, will be the celebrity golfer as St. Barnabas Charities hosts its 19th annual Charitable Golf Open on Monday, June 5 at Butler Country Club.
The fund-raising event's morning field will tee off at 7:45 a.m., following a continental breakfast. The afternoon field, in which Bleier will participate, will tee off at 12:45 p.m. The cost to golf in either field is $375 and includes 18 holes of golf, use of carts, lunch, course beverages, unlimited range balls, a cocktail reception and awards dinner.
During his 12-year NFL career, Bleier became one of the Steelers' top leading ground gainers. He passed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in one season and he contributed to four Super Bowl victories. Bleier has been active in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the International Special Olympics. As a board member of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, he helped make possible the Washington, D.C., Memorial. His special qualities have been recognized with many special awards including the Whizzer White Humanitarian Award, the Vince Lombardi Award and the Most Courageous Athlete of the Decade Award.
The story of Bleier's battle to overcome his Vietnam War injuries and return to the Pittsburgh Steelers is described in the book "Fighting Back" and was recreated in a 1980 ABC-TV movie. Today, Bleier is a motivational speaker. He takes the hard lessons he learned early in his life, which helped him overcome adversity and reach his goals and translates those core values into his speech, "Be the Best You Can Be."
During the event's awards dinner, Bob Bruce of WPXI-TV will serve as master of ceremonies. Those attending will also be invited to participate in a silent auction featuring approximately 50 packages of prizes such as sports memorabilia, framed artwork and home entertainment equipment. A live auction following dinner will include items autographed by Bleier.
Proceeds from the 19th annual St. Barnabas Charities Golf Open benefit the St. Barnabas Free Care Fund. In 2005 alone, the Free Care Fund provided more than $6.29 million to patients at St. Barnabas Nursing Home, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas who would not otherwise be able to afford their care. Since its founding, the golf open has raised $878,000.
Title co-sponsors of the 19th annual St. Barnabas Charities Golf Open are C.U.E. Inc. and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Bleier's appearance is sponsored by Bayer Polymers LLC. For more information or to register for the golf open, call St. Barnabas Charities at (724) 444-5521 or visit www.stbarnabashealthsystem.com.
About St. Barnabas, St. Barnabas Health System is the largest health care concern of its kind in Pennsylvania and offers service apart from the ordinary in a faith-based, non-denominational setting. Tracing its heritage back to 1900, the system serves approximately 900 inpatients and residents, plus 35,000 outpatients and home care clients. The health system is composed of the
St. Barnabas Communities, including The Village at St. Barnabas, The Washington Place at St. Barnabas and The Woodlands at St. Barnabas; St. Barnabas Clinical Services, including St. Barnabas Nursing Home, St. Barnabas Medical Center, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas; the Kean Theatre; and St. Barnabas Charities, the fund-raising arm.
Contact:
Kathleen Brenneman
(724) 444-5530
kbrenneman@stbarnabashealthsystem.com
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