For the week of August 15 - 21, 2001

Thompson Memorial reaches a silver moment

25th charity golf tourney set 
for Aug. 22-25

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It’s been 25 years and nearly $5 million in fund-raising for the Danny Thompson Memorial golf tournament.

The Thompson Memorial is celebrating its silver anniversary Aug. 22-25 on the Elkhorn and Sun Valley golf courses. It’s been played exclusively at Sun Valley since its founding as a small clambake in 1977.

A highlight is the eighth annual Thompson Memorial live and silent auction Friday, Aug. 24 at Sun Valley's River Run Lodge. The auction has become the single-largest fund-raising portion of the tournament, netting $150,000 in 2000.

Among the auction items this year will be a Harley Davidson motorcycle; a VIP package to the 2002 Winter Olympics; and a private jet golf tour of Europe including the British Open golf tournament.

Last year’s fund-raising total was $550,000, a tourney record.

This year, 256 golfers are expected and tournament president and director Georgie Fenton of Ketchum wants to exceed last year’s $550,000.

Fenton is very pleased that the list of corporate sponsors has grown from 30 several years ago, and has held steady at 52 sponsors in 2001.

In 24 years, the Thompson Memorial has raised over $4.8 million for leukemia and cancer research. The tournament is named for Danny Thompson, a Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers infielder who died of leukemia in 1976 at 29.

Since 1985, the total raised at the Thompson each year has been split evenly between University of Minnesota Leukemia Research Foundation ($2.5 million since 1977) and Mountain States Tumor Institute of Boise ($2.35 million since 1981).

That’s quite an accomplishment for a gathering started in 1977 by Idaho legislator Ralph Harding and baseball slugger Harmon Killebrew.

Killebrew’s $6,000 donation to leukemia research after his teammate's death 20 years ago ultimately turned into something much bigger with his decision to launch the fund-raising tournament.

Much bigger now, the 2001 Thompson will pull out the stops to mark its silver moment. Both Killebrew and Harding will be honored at Friday’s auction dinner.

All surviving members of the Danny Thompson family, including his mother, two brothers, two sisters and two daughters, have been invited as honored guests.

Singled out for mention will be the individuals who have attended the most Thompson tourneys. They are:

25-year participants: Sen. Conrad Burns, Wally Huffman, Marvin May, Bob Michel, Lynn Mohler and Tony Park. 24-year golfers: Ralph Harding, Tom Railsback and Gordon Ritz.

23-year golfers: Ladell Andersen and Tom Tate. 21-year participant: Rep. Charles Stenholm. 20-year golfers: Rep. Butch Otter, Art Prine, Steve Beebe and Gay Simplot.

Here is the schedule:

• Wednesday, Aug. 22: Registration on Sun Valley Lodge Terrace from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; practice rounds all day.
  
  

• Thursday, Aug. 23: Welcome reception on the Sun Valley Lodge Terrace at 6:30 p.m.
  
  

• Friday, Aug. 24: Shotgun start 8:30 a.m. for the first round of golf at Sun Valley and Elkhorn; cocktails and eighth annual auction dinner at 6:30 p.m. at River Run Lodge.
  
  

• Saturday, Aug. 25: Shotgun start 8:30 a.m. for the second round of golf; awards celebration party at the Sun Valley soccer field tent at 6:30 p.m.

Once again, the Chairman’s Award will be presented to an individual who has made a significant effort to promote the Danny Thompson tourney.

Past winners: 2000, Don Ainge (Ainge Marketing); 1999, Warren McCain (Albertson’s); 1998, Marvin May (May Trucking); 1997, William Rutherford (former tournament director); 1996, James Howard (CEO, Northern States Power Co.); 1995, Rep. Charles Stenholm.

1994, Rep. Dan Burton; 1993, Ralph Harding (tournament co-founder); 1992, Ed Kavanaugh (CTFA president); 1991, Harold Alfond (Dexter Shoes); 1990, Telly Savalas; 1989, Melvin Laird (former Defense Secretary); 1988, Rep. Dan Rostenkowski; 1987, Rep. Bob Michel; and 1986, Tip O’Neill (former House Speaker).

Celebrities are always a big attraction for the Thompson.

Coming back to Sun Valley from the world of baseball is 73-year-old Virginian Jim Lemon, who hit .262 in 12 outfield seasons for Cleveland, Washington and Minnesota from 1950-63.

Other sports celebrities expected at the 2001 Thompson:

From football: Steve Young, Ed Marinaro and Joe Washington. From basketball: Jack Marin and coach Ladell Andersen.

From auto racing: Tom Sneva. From hockey: Ron Duguay and Rod Gilbert. From baseball: Paul Hartzell.

From ESPN: John Barrett (fly fishing), and Chris Berman ("The Berminator"). From the entertainment world: Arte Johnson.

Politicians include Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.); Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.); Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (R-Ky.); Rep. Martin Sabo (D-Minn.); Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.); Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Id.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Id.)

Also, Rep. Charles Stenholm (D-Texas); Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.); Rep. Chris John (D-La.); Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah); Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.); Rep. Clay Shaw (R-Fla.); and Rep. Butch Otter (R-Id.);

U.S. Bank is the tournament's "Platinum" sponsor.

At "Gold" level is Ullico family of insurance companies. "Silver" sponsors are Anheuser-Busch, NRG Energy, Regence Blue Shield-Idaho and Simplot.

"Premier" sponsors are Delta Airlines, Merrill Corp., Glaxo SmithKline, Lockheed Martin, Lutheran Brotherhood and Washington Group International (formerly Morrison Knudsen of Boise).

Spectators are welcome to watch during the 18-hole competition rounds Friday and Saturday. In all, the golfers will play 36 holes over two days.

Check the pairing sheets at the Sun Valley and Elkhorn golf pro shops to find where your favorite golfer is playing.

Tournament format is four-man two-best ball over a two-day tournament. Low gross and net prizes plus longest drive and closest-to-the-pin prizes are given to men and women.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.