48th Annual Little City Invitational Golf Tournament Changes Date, But Goal Remains the Same - Raising Funds For People With Disabilities

Tournament to Honor Its Own Little City Special Olympics Golf Team

PALATINE, Ill., March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 48th Annual Little City Invitational (LCI) Golf Tournament is taking a couple of twists in 2011. The tournament is moving up its date to June 13, from its traditional late August start date, and it is also doing something a bit unusual by honoring one of its own – the Little City Special Olympics Golf Team.

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In past years, the LCI Golf Tournament has honored individuals who have excelled at providing longtime support to people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Some of the people honored in the past include Patrick Larmon, President and CEO of Bunzl Distribution USA, Inc.; Larry Richman, President and CEO of PrivateBancorp, Inc., and The Private Bank-Chicago; and Hal Wolken, past President of AW Mendenhall and now founder and principal owner of Boom Enterprises, all of whom received the Morrie Kellman Humanitarian Award at the tournament.

"We feel it is very appropriate this year to honor a group from Little City, and our Special Olympics Golf Team is a perfect match for what our tournament emphasizes," said Ed Hockfield, co-chair for the tournament and the Executive Vice President of Little City's Board of Directors. "We have some great people at Little City who are also great athletes, and our tournament is a wonderful event to give them the honor they deserve."

Approximately 20 men and women comprise the talented Little City Golf Team, which has sent 14 individual players to the Special Olympics State Golf Competition during the past four years. In 2010, the team sent five athletes to the state golf tournament, the most ever.

Two golfers, including Barb Gregornik last year, have won state titles in the Special Olympics Individual Skills Competition, held each year at the Hickory Creek Golf Course in Decatur. Four players have finished second, and Little City has garnered several more medals and ribbons.

As part of its teaching program, the Little City Golf Team also participates in the Sunshine Through Golf Program, which is sponsored by the Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) Foundation. The goal of the Sunshine program is to introduce golf to people with disabilities who may not have the opportunity to enjoy the sport. The foundation holds 90 camps throughout the spring and summer in the Chicago area to support the program.

Little City has participated in the program since 2006 at Inverness Golf Club, where they get a chance to learn the game from PGA professionals. The team also practices at the Highland Woods Golf Course in Hoffman Estates.

Players or sponsors who are interested in taking part in the tournament can visit the LCI website or contact Phyllis Shipbaugh at 847-221-7892.

The tournament will be held Monday, June 13, at the prestigious Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove. Entry fee is $750 per golfer, which includes brunch, a shotgun start and five-star dinner with great raffle prizes and special live auction items.

The LCI Golf Tournament is one of the oldest tournaments in the nonprofit sector. It was founded in 1963 by Morrie Kellman, a great friend and supporter of Little City, and today the tournament has come full circle, some 48 years later, to pay tribute to Morrie.

For more details, visit www.littlecity.org/events/2011/lci/.

To support individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, visit www.littlecity.org/support.

For complete information, visit www.littlecity.org or contact Rick Johnson at 847-221-7831 or Lisa Hoffmann at [email protected] or 847-221-7825.

About Little City Foundation

For more than 50 years, Little City Foundation has developed innovative and personalized programs to fully assist and empower children and adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.  With a commitment to attaining a greater quality of life for Illinois' most vulnerable citizens, Little City actively promotes choice, person-centered planning and a holistic approach to health and wellness.  Little City's ChildBridge services include in-home personal and family supports, clinical and behavior intervention, 24/7 residential services and special needs foster care and adoption.  Little City's LifePath Adult Services offers a variety of residential options, employment opportunities, home-based services, case management, day supports, Special Olympics, an award-winning Center for the Arts and more. The organization has a 56-acre campus in Palatine and offices in Chicago.  Visit www.littlecity.org. 

SOURCE Little City