In honor of the former UT women’s basketball head coach Pat Summitt, who is battling Alzheimer’s disease head-on, the Lookout Mountain Golf Club and Erlanger Health System will be hosting the first Pat Summitt Invitational event on Sunday, May 17, and Monday, May 18. The event will benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation, an organization with the same fighting spirit as its namesake, aiming to help find a cure to Alzheimer’s disease.
“So many people have been affected by this debilitating disease, but we are thankful for those who are willing to join us in the fight to end it,” said Billy Buchanan, event coordinator for the Pat Summitt Invitational. “Every dollar we raise moves us one step closer to finding a cure. With the local community’s support, we hope to raise $100,000 during the Invitational.”
This two-day benefit event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, with a “Toast to Pat” party where attendees will enjoy cocktails, a buffet dinner and entertainment by Fletcher Bright and the Dismembered Tennesseans. During the party, toasts will be given in honor of Pat by special guests, including former UT coach Phillip Fulmer, event toastmaster as well as founder and CEO of Thunder Enterprises John “Thunder” Thornton, former deputy governor and 16-year Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey, and former UT director of women’s athletics Joan Cronan.
On Monday, May 18, a breakfast buffet and tournament registration will be held at 8:30 a.m. prior to the golf tournament, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The Pat Summitt Invitational will conclude with an awards banquet.
“Pat Summitt’s leadership both on and off the basketball court during her time as the Lady Vols coach was impeccable,” said Dane Bradshaw, former UT basketball player and president of Thunder Enterprises, a local real estate agency. “We hope to honor her legacy through the invitational golf event and look forward to supporting her foundation in a great way.”
Ms. Summitt is the all-time winningest female coach in NCAA basketball history. In 2011, she revealed the toughest opponent she would ever face: Alzheimer’s disease. Not long after her announcement, the Pat Summitt Foundation was established in her honor, which is dedicated to the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The foundation has a comprehensive approach to the fight by raising funds for the Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s clinic and awarding grants to other organizations that provide research, education and support services for Alzheimer’s.
To register for the toasting event, flag and tee sponsorships, or the legacy gifting opportunities that support the fight against Alzheimer’s, go to www.PatSummitt.org/golf. For questions about the Pat Summitt Invitational, contact event coordinator, Billy Buchanan, at 667-5174 or billybuchanan2@gmail.com. For more information on the Pat Summitt Foundation visit www.patsummitt.org, and for more information on the Lookout Mountain Golf Club visit www.lookoutmountaingolfclub.com.