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Golf Event To Benefit Boys & Girls Club

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

PLANT CITY - What do O'Brien's Irish Pub, Walden Lake Golf and Country Club, the Plant City Boys & Girls Club and University of South Florida football have in common?

The answer is a fundraiser Sunday.

O'Brien's is sponsoring its second annual Charity Golf Classic, with proceeds used to send members of the local youth club to a USF football game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa this fall. The four-man scramble will have a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m., with the field limited to the first 36 teams.

The $100 green fee will provide each player the round of golf with cart, range balls, lunch, beverages, a golf goody-bag, a golf shirt and an awards ceremony and buffet at O'Brien's, 1701 S. Alexander St.

Bernie O'Brien, a part-owner of the Plant City restaurant, and founder of the Carrollwood location, said the charity tournament is almost full.

"We wanted to limit the number of teams to 36, which will put 144 players on the golf course," O'Brien said. "We have had a very good response from the community."

Each year O'Brien's restaurants sponsor charity golf tournaments to benefit non-profit organizations in the area, O'Brien said. There are four O'Brien's establishments in Hillsborough County including the original in Carrollwood. The others are in Brandon; Plant City and most recently, Riverview/Summerfield.

"We haven't determined all of the details," O'Brien said. "But the plan is to get all the members of the Plant City Boys & Girls Club and their chaperones to Raymond James Stadium for a USF football game."

O'Brien is the 2008 chairman of the Outback Bowl in Tampa. He also serves on the executive board for the annual college bowl game.

"We want the members and chaperones to also take part in a pre-game tailgate barbecue," O'Brien said. "This is one way we can give back to a community that has been very supportive of the restaurant in Plant City."

Sharon Moody, the director of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Plant City, said her conversations with O'Brien have caused a lot of excitement in the club.

"Bernie has asked us to bring two club members to the June 1 golf tournament," Moody said. "I think it's great that O'Brien's has chosen our organization as a beneficiary of the event. I'm sure the club members will be excited to see a Bulls game at Raymond James Stadium. It will probably be the first college game for them. And for many the first time they have been inside the stadium."

For information, call O'Brien at (813) 764-8818.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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