Jeffrey Osborne Classic Raises $50,000 for Charity

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

GoLocalProv Sports Team

 

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Jeffrey Osborne.

The Jeffrey Osborne Celebrity Softball Classic raised $50,000 for local non-profits  on August 10, at McCoy Stadium. Those who benefited from the event include: Amos House, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School, The MET School, St. Mary’s Home for Children, and Button Hole as well as others.

Approximately 7,600 were in attendance to see the line-up of celebrities play an East Coast versus West Coast game. The East Coast won with a final score of 18-16 on a Sammy Morris walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. Earvin “Magic” Johnson co-hosted the event with Grammy nominated singer/songwriter and Rhode Island native Jeffrey Osborne.

The Softball Classic was opened the two-day Celebrity Classic golf event, which took place August 11-12 in Portsmouth, RI. Both events support initiatives to bring music and arts back to public school systems as well as provide a safe, enriching environment and services for families and children in need. To date, more than $300,000 has been distributed to Rhode Island non-profits that represent the organization’s mission.

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The Lineup

·         Earvin “Magic” Johnson

·         Smokey Robinson, legendary R&B singer 

·         Johnny Gill, musician, New Edition

·         Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, six-time NBA MVP, 19-time NBA All-Star

·         Cedric the Entertainer, actor & comedian

·         Chris Tucker, Actor & Comedian

·         Dennis ‘Oil Can’ Boyd, Boston Red Sox legend

·         John Tudor, former MLB player, Boston Red Sox

·         Steve Grogan, Former NFL Player, NE Patriots

·         Roland James, Former NFL Player, NE Patriots

·         Garin Veris, Former NFL Player, NE Patriots

·         Pete Brock, Former NFL Player, NE Patriots

·         Jermaine Wiggins, Former NFL Player, NE Patriots

·         James Worthy, Former NBA player, NBA All-Star and NBA Champion

·         Tom Songin, Former NHL Player, Boston Bruins

·         Michael Carter Williams, Philadelphia 76ers

·         Ty Law, Former NFL Player, NE Patriots

·         Dondre Whitfield, Actor

·         Salli Richardson, Actor

·         Eddie Levert, The O’Jays

·         Tiny Taveras, singer

·         Ed Cooley, Head coach for Friars men’s basketball

·         Jim Harrick, former coach UCLA, Pepperdine, URI and University of Georgia 

·         Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade, professional boxer

·         Seema Sadekar, The Golf Fashionista at Seema Style

·         Michelle Kwan, two-time Olympic skating medalist, a five-time World champion

·         Doris Burke, reporter on ESPN & ABC

·         Roland Martin, commentator for TV One and the host of News One Now

·         Tim Welsh, Former college basketball coach

·         Kevin Stacom, Former NBA player

·         Joe Hassett, Former NBA player

·         Frank Carpano, Sports Director, NBC 10

·         Joe Kayata, Sports Anchor, NBC 10

·         Michaela Johnson, Co-host, The Rhode Show  

·         Patrick Little, Anchor, WPRI 12

The Jeffrey Osborne Celebrity Classic, in partnership with the Clarence J. “Clay” Osborne Foundation (a 501(c) (3) organization), supports non-profits who provide services and safe, enriching environments for families and children in need and those who continue to push for music and arts for children, including initiatives to put music back into public school systems.

 

Related Slideshow: 2014 CVS Charity Classic Field

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Erik Compton

Compton underwent a heart transplant at age 12 and gave up contact sports for good.  After taking up golf, he rose to become the #1 ranked junior golfer 6 years later.  Compton had a second heart transplant in 2008, and made his first Top 10 on the PGA Tour in 2013.

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Harris English

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Russell Henley

Henley also won a Nationwide Tour Event before turning pro, and he's got a pair of PGA Tour wins on his resume as well.  He and fellow Georgia-native English will be pairing up in this year's Classic.

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Morgan Pressel

Pressel is the only female winner in CVS Classic history, winning the 2012 event with Jay Haas.  Pressel is a 2-time winner on the LPGA Tour and won the Kraft Nabisco Championship (a major) in 2007.

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Hunter Mahan

Mahan is a 5-time PGA Tour winner and the 38th ranked player in the world.  Known for having one of the smoothest swings in golf, Mahan made headlines last summer by withdrawing from a tournament he was leading after 36 holes to be with his wife as she went into labor with their first child.

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Billy Horschel

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Suzann Pettersen

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Lexi Thompson

The 19-year-old Thompson won her first major earlier this year at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.  She qualified for the U.S. Women's Open at age 12 and has quickly ascended to the top of the LPGA as a teenager.  She's currently ranked 5th in the world.

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Brad Faxon

Faxon co-founded the Charity Classic in 1999 and has hosted the event every year since.  He's an 8-time winner on the PGA Tour, a 1-time Champions Tour winner, and one of the most charitable golfers in the world today.  Faxon led an alumni drive to save and fund the Furman (his alma mater) golf program earlier this year.

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Billy Andrade

Andrade has also hosted the Charity Classic every year since 1999, and his reputation for charitable work is on par with Faxon's.  He and Faxon run the junior golf program at Buttonhole Golf program in Providence and also run the Andrade-Faxon Charities for Children program.  Andrade has won 4 times on the PGA Tour.

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Peter Jacobsen

Jacobsen joins Faxon and Andrade as the only players to have played in every Charity Classic since its inception.  He won 7 events on the PGA Tour and has won 2 majors on the Champions Tour.  He's also worked as a commentator on NBC and the Golf Channel.

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Matt Kuchar

Kuchar won the 2011 Charity Classic with Zach Johnson as his playing partner.  Kuchar is the highest ranked player in the field (#4 in the world).  He has won 7 PGA Tour Events in his career.

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Zach Johnson

Johnson is an 11-time PGA Tour winner and won the 2011 Charity Classic with Matt Kuchar.  Johnson is the only player in the field with a green jacket, winning The Masters in 2007.  Johnson is the 13th ranked player in the world.

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Jason Dufner

Dufner is a 3-time winner on the PGA Tour and the 2013 PGA Championship winner.  Unflappable and seemingly emotionless on the golf course, Dufner inspired the "Dufnering" internet sensation.  Dufner is currently the 15th ranked player in the world.

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Steve Stricker

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Juli Inkster

Inkster has won 31 times on the LPGA Tour and is a World Golf Hall of Famer.  She's won 7 majors and earned over $13 million over her professional career.

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Bo Van Pelt

Van Pelt is a co-defending champion at the Charity Classic and has also won events on the PGA Tour, Asian Tour, European Tour, and Australasian Tour over the course of his career.

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Jimmy Walker

Prior to this season, Walker has never won a PGA Tour event in his 187 career starts.  He won 3 of the first 8 events he played in 2014, breaking into the top 20 of the World Golf rankings in the process.  He's the current FedExCup points leader (the winner of the FedExCup wins $10 million).

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Bill Haas

Haas has won 5 times on the PGA Tour and is currently ranked 34th in the world.  He and his father Jay won the Charity Classic in 2004, becoming the first and only father/son tandem to win the event.

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Jonas Blixt

Blixt, a native of Sweden, is ranked 35th in the world rankings despite not earning his PGA Tour Card until 2012.  He's won a pair of PGA Tour events in his young career,

 

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