GWINNETT – METRO ATLANTA, April 11, 2016 – The Mitsubishi Electric Classic, an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions, announced the participants of the 2016 Novelis Celebrity Challenge. Braves legends and Hall of Famers John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, and current Arizona Cardinals punter and former Georgia Bulldogs star Drew Butler will play their own competitive round of golf for charity within the tournament on Saturday, April 16.
“The Novelis Celebrity Challenge is an exciting opportunity for us each year,” said Scott Hodoval, vice president of development at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “From the celebrities who give of their time to raise money to support the great work underway at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to the guest stars who cherish the time they get to spend with them, it’s just a fantastic event for the golfers and, most importantly, the children and families it supports.”
In addition to playing for a donation to a specific area of need at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the teams also vie for the Cooper Cup, created in memory of Cooper O’Brien. Cooper, who passed away on July 5, 2014 at age 14, was on the 2014 winning team with former Georgia Bulldog and NFL star Kevin Butler.
Each celebrity will play with a CHOA guest of honor and specific division within Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta:
Team Smoltz
Celebrity: John Smoltz
Guest star: Kenan Frady, age 13
Area of need: Sickle Cell Disease
Team Glavine
Celebrity: Tom Glavine
Guest star: Jeremy Brown, age 12
Area of need: Clinical Research
Team Butler
Celebrity: Drew Butler
Guest star: Madison Freeman, age 16
Area of need: Family Support Team