NFL legends visit Step by Step in advance of charity shootout

Jim Hart, formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals, left, and Jack Laraway, formerly of the Houston Oilers, with young students at Step by Step. Former players from the National Football League toured Step by Step Early Childhood Education & Therapy Center recently to learn more about the charity, which is one of three to benefit from the Inaugural Gridiron Legends Charity Shootout coming up Dec. 4 and 5 at Palmira Golf & Country Club in Bonita Springs.

Step by Step has been assisting children of diverse abilities and their families in Collier County for more than 25 years, providing a safe, nurturing environment that supports their social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development.

Dozens of former NFL players have been invited to participate in the Gridiron Legends Charity Shootout. Those who have committed to play include were former St. Louis Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart and former Houston Oilers linebacker Jack Laraway, along with Tony Nathan and Bob Kuechenberg, Miami Dolphins, Joe Cribbs, Cornelius Bennett and Jimmie Gilies, Buffalo Bills; Parnell Dickinson, Los Angeles Rams; and Eddie Payton, Cleveland Browns.

The tournament will begin Friday, Dec. 4, with a pairings party and will continue the next day with breakfast followed by the 18-hole scramble, awards ceremony and raffles. The festivities will conclude with a three-team shootout to determine the champion team. The winning team will earn a spot to play in the 2010 South Florida NFL Alumni Chapter Super Bowl Golf Tournament in February 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, which is a qualifier for the Super Bowl of Golf National Championship in Maui, Hawaii, in April 2010.

The entry fee is $2,000 per foursome and $500 per individual golfer.

Among the sponsors who have signed on to date are: Beasley Broadcast Group Inc., Monarch Marketing Services, Comcast, Cone Communications Company, Living Now Inc., BDK Group, In Trouble Zone Productions, The PublicRelate Integrated Marketing, Disney World, Discovery Cruise Lines, Minnesota Twins, Bealls Department Store, Naples Zoo, Florida Everblades, Shark Shootout, Miller Lite, Mercedes Benz and Ford. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more information about the Gridiron Legends Charity Shootout, call 591-8901 or visit www.GridironLegendsCharityShootout. com. 