Brittany Lincicome Helps Raise Money & Awareness For The First Tee Of St. Petersburg |
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Just a few days before she was honored by President Bush for helping bring home the Solheim Cup, LPGA professional golfer Brittany Lincicome lent a hand in raising $50,000 to benefi t St. Petersburg youth. The first annual Brittany & Friends Celebrit
Pro-Am golf tournament and auction, held at St. Petersburg Country Club on November 27, 2007, featured an 18-hole celebrity scramble and sports memorabilia auction with players from the LPGA and other major league sports. Proceeds benefi t The First Tee of St. Petersburg youth development program, which helps youth learn life skills and character development as a part of golf instruction. The program also ensures all children have an equal opportunity to learn the game. “The Brittany & Friends golf event was a huge success,” said Jeff Hollis, Executive Director. “The First Tee of St. Petersburg thanks Brittany, her friends and Mike Puffer for giving of their time to help support our program and the youth of our community. Brittany has seamlessly integrated the nine core values of The First Tee into her life on and off the golf course and is someone to whom St. Petersburg youth can aspire.” Sponsored by BB and T Insurance Services, SunTrust Banks, and St. Petersburg resident Sean Manning, the tournament featured Lincicome and fellow LPGA professional golfers Angela Stanford, Karin Sjodin, Meaghan Francella, and Dale Eggeling in a celebrity clinic with participants from The First Tee of St. Petersburg: Ally Franzese, Karim Oliver and Eric Ines. Other celebrity players included Ray’s players Scott Kazmir, Doug Waechter, and BJ Upton; Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott and former Buc Mark Royals; Tampa Bay Storm head coach Tim Markum; Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Miguel Cairo; and Minnesota Twins pitcher Boof Bonser. Lincicome, a former St. Petersburg resident who now resides in Seminole, won her first tournament at age 9, setting the stage for a successful junior career, including wins at the 2003 Avilla Junior Classic and Harder Hall Invitational the following year; she also led the first round of the 2004 U.S. Women’s Open as an amateur. Turning professional in 2005, Lincicome was on her way to making a name for herself in the LPGA with victories at the 2006 HSBC World Women’s Match Play Championship and the 2007 Ginn Open. Lincicome’s performance earned her a spot on the U.S. Women’s golf team, which brought home the Solheim Cup in September. Proceeds from the tournament, which is slated to become an annual event, will be used to help sustain the program and its’ continued growth. The First Tee of St. Petersburg is 100% funded through registration fees, grants, donations and fundraisers like the Brittany & Friends event. Chair Mike Puffer said, “The First Tee is an incredible asset to the community and I look forward to making it an even bigger part of the City of St. Petersburg.” Since becoming a chapter of The First Tee youth development initiative in April 2005, The First Tee of St. Petersburg has reached approximately 2,500 area youth; it currently serves around 1,400 participants annually. |
