Art Shell Golf Outing

Earlier this week we held the Art Shell UMES Celebrity Golf Classic to benefit student scholarships for the university's PGA Golf Management Program.

This was a great event that included a junior tournament on Tuesday, which was followed by a Legends Reception pairing party. There were a bunch of NFL greats and UMES alumni on hand for a night full of Maryland-style cuisine (including hard crabs), live entertainment and a silent auction.

Wednesday was the Celebrity Golf Classic, which was held at Great Hope Golf Course in Westover, Md., followed by an awards dinner at the SSC.

NFL Hall of Famers that were in attendance include:

• Art Shell (Oakland Raiders 1968-81, Los Angeles Raiders 1982, UMES Class of 1968)
  
• Elvin Bethea (Houston Oilers 1968-83)
• Bobby Mitchell (Cleveland Browns 1958-61, Washington Redskins 1962-68)
  

College Hall of Famers that were in attendance include:

• Roger Brown (Detroit Lions 1960-66, Los Angeles Rams 1967-69, UMES Class of 1960)
• Emerson Boozer (New York Jets 1966-75, UMES Class of 1965)

"UMES, my alma mater, continues to reach students, many of whom are first generation college students and for whom college may have been out of reach due to limited resources," said Shell. "This is why, in times like these, it is important as ever to rally together to support students who desire more, and who can achieve more, if just given the opportunity."

You're probably wondering what this has to do with UMES basketball. Coach Allen attended the Legends Reception and was also joined by myself and Coach Blaine on Wed. for the golf outing. The men's team is great supporters of this event and really anything that helps promote UMES and bring scholarship money to students. Despite storms threatening on Wednesday, the golfers had perfect weather and never had to leave the course.