First Bill Janss tournament is simply first rate
Almost $300,000 raised for community center
By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer
The first annual Bill Janss Memorial Golf Tournament hit the ball out
of the park.
Everyone from the organizers to the participants were in accord that
Monday’s fund-raising tournament was an unqualified success.
"It was a great tournament, a spectacular day and a spectacular
golf course," remarked comedian and daredevil "Super" Dave Osborne.
The tournament, sponsored by Tully’s Coffee, was staged at the
Valley Club on Monday.
Format was a five-person scramble, with the two best scores counting
toward the final tally. The event attracted its limit of 22 teams.
"It was good for the club and for the community," Valley Club
president Jack Dies said. "The board voted to unanimously support this event. We felt
it was our obligation and we were happy to do it."
It was that kind of support that Bill Janss campaign director Anita
McCann said played a key role for all involved.
"It is the best event I have ever seen in the valley," McCann
said.
Bill Janss Community Center executive director Jackie Hennessy
estimated that $270,000 to $300,000 was raised for the Bill Janss Community Center (BJCC).
It is a proposed $15 million dollar, 95,000 square-foot facility at Saddle and Warm
Springs Roads in Ketchum, where the Park & Ride is now located.
"We want to see this happen for our kids and the community,"
McCann said. "People said the Galena project wouldn’t work, and the bike path
wouldn’t get done and the fields down south wouldn’t get built. We did it and
this is going to be done too."
A pre-tournament dinner, catered by Cottonwood Deli, was staged in
Lynne and Tim Harris’ garden Sunday night.
Longtime resident Jamie Lee Curtis emceed the dinner and set a relaxed
tone for comedians Peter Marshall, Tom Poston, Dave Osborne, Arte Johnson and singers
Cynthia Sikes and Johnny Mathis.
Kevin Cincotta of Ketchum was in the audience.
"The comedians they had were incredible. I was doubled over. I
haven’t laughed that hard in years," he said.
With items such as trips to London, Singapore, Scottsdale and San Diego
up for grabs, the auction raised a substantial chunk of change for the charity.
"People were incredibly generous," McCann said.
Curtis was in charge of the microphone on Monday as she announced the
winners of the tournament.
Coincidentally the winning team, the BJCC Board of Directors, included
Curtis’ husband Christopher Guest, Page Jenner, Charlie Holt, Larry Flynn and Glenn
Muirbrook. The fivesome shot a combined 96, putting them at 48-under.
‘Most people thought I married him because he is a comic genius.
But I married him because I knew he was going to be a great father and a great
golfer," Curtis joked.
In second place at 99 was the Corbett/Robinson squad with Laurie
Cornell, Brad Corbett, John Moran, Harry Rinker and Eddie Robinson.
Beating out 19 other teams for third place was the women’s quintet
of Picabo Street, Georgia Rand-Hutchinson, Kiki Tidwell, Amy Taylor and Jennifer Harper.
Street birdied her final putt to propel the team to third with a 101.
"These women beat all you old men out there," Curtis crowed.
"Chicks rule."
Harper blasted a 265-yard drive to win the longest drive contest for
the women. Adam Baldwin had the longest blast for the men.
Christie Anderson dropped a shot a mere 13 inches from the hole to
capture closest to the pin. Johnny Mathis was 6 feet, 9 inches away to take home a set of
clubs.
No one took home the 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible donated by
Sawtooth Auto, but there’s always next year.
It will be hard to top this year, though.
