Fourth Year Of Ace Hardware Golf Shootout Features $1 Million Shot

(Honolulu) — One would think that for his first NFL Pro Bowl appearance, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Chad Lewis would be deeply entrenched in the hype and hoopla that surrounds a year-end event like this. Instead, he joined other past and present Pro Bowlers Kurt Warner, Tim Brown, Ray Buchanan, Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Elvis Grbac, and Joe Horn with NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson to raise $500,000 for Children’s Miracle Network and its 170 affiliated children’s hospitals.

The nine NFL All Stars competed in the Ace Hardware Golf Shootout today at the Ko Olina Golf Club at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa in Kapolei, just outside Honolulu. The Shootout isn’t your run-of-the-mill charity golf tournament. Rather, it’s a fun-filled, made-for-television event that tests the skills of these football greats in six different golf shots—the drive, medium iron shot, trouble shot, pitch shot, bunker shot and, of course, putting.

The event also featured a special contest sponsored by Duracell Ultra batteries in which 15-year-old Aaron Rivera, a five-time cancer survivor from Fort Worth, Texas, attempted a 169-yard par three for a chance to win $1 million. He missed the hole-in-one that would have yielded a $900,000 donation to Children’s Miracle Network and a $100,000 scholarship for Aaron. But just for trying Duracell donated $50,000 to the local children’s hospital.

This is the fourth year of the event, which Ace Hardware has sponsored since its inception. In fact, Ace has raised more than $15 million over the 11 years it has been a sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network. Commenting on the longstanding relationship between the two organizations, Ace Vice President of Human Resources Fred Neer said, “We’re proud of the amazing team of Ace retailers, vendors and corporate employees who continue to show that Ace is the place for caring. And knowing that through Children’s Miracle Network the dollars raised stay local, benefiting the children in each of our own neighborhoods, makes us that much prouder of our contribution through the Golf Shootout and other events.”

This is the third year the event has been held in conjunction with the Pro Bowl. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and representatives of Ace Hardware will present a check to Children’s Miracle Network during halftime of the Pro Bowl game, Sunday, February 4 at Aloha Stadium.

While much attention is placed on the NFL stars during Pro Bowl week; at the Shootout, the players were the first to admit that their caddies actually deserved the accolades. Nine children who had each been treated at a children’s hospital affiliated with Children’s Miracle Network were invited to act as the players’ honorary caddies.

One of the children, 6-year-old Cara Mukai of Honolulu, underwent heart surgery three years ago at Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu. Doctors there placed a Gortex patch on Cara’s heart to cover a hole that had been there since birth. Today Cara is very active and healthy.

“When I see kids like Cara and think what they must go through every day just to survive,” said Lewis, “I know who the real champions are. I’ve taken some pretty good hits, but they’re nothing compared to what these kids deal with.”

The event was produced by NFL Films and will air in August, at the start of next year’s NFL season, on FOX Sports Net.

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For more information, contact: Roger Cook, 801-278-8900, rcook@cmn.org, www.cmn.org