June 8, 2015
SOUTH BEND, Indiana – Today, the Kelly Cares Foundation hosted its first Golf Invitational at the Lost Dunes Golf Club in Bridgman, Michigan. The funds raised at the event, $300,000, will benefit both the Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian Foundations, as well as charitable organizations that align with the pillars and mission of the Kelly Cares Foundation, which are Health, Education and Community.
The Kelly Cares Foundation Golf Invitational is the successor to the Irish Legends Golf Outing that has taken place annually over the last several years. While Holtz and Parseghian are no longer official hosts, the Kelly Cares Foundation is devoted to continuing the tradition that has been established, while contributing to both former coaches’ foundations in the process. The Kelly Cares Foundation presented both the Holtz Charitable Foundation and the Ara Parseghian Foundation with donations, underscoring the Kelly Cares Foundation’s continued support.
The Kelly Cares Foundation Golf Invitational, an event intended to gather supporters of the Kelly Cares Foundation and Notre Dame faithful together for an afternoon of fun and to raise additional resources to benefit the Foundation’s mission, featured Notre Dame football greats and supporters enjoying the day’s activities, including breakfast and a silent auction, a shotgun scramble round of golf, and a reception, awards ceremony and live auction.
Brian and Paqui Kelly presented donations to the Holtz and Parseghian Foundations. The donation for the Parseghian Foundation was accepted personally by the former Irish Football Coach. Former players Reggie Brooks and Ron Powlus accepted the donation for the Holtz Charitable Foundation on its behalf.
“Being able to carry on the tradition that Lou and Ara started with the Irish Legends Golf Outing, and keep it going through the Kelly Cares Foundation -you can’t imagine how proud and honored we are to be able to do so,” said Brian Kelly, Kelly Cares Foundation Co-Founder and Notre Dame Head Football Coach. “And being able to personally present donations to both the Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian Foundations is truly an honor and privilege for Paqui and I, and the Kelly Cares Foundation.”
The Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation is devoted to funding research for finding a treatment for Niemann-Pick Type C (NP-C) Disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Three of Parseghian’s grandchildren were afflicted with NP-C, before losing their battle with the disease. Of the more than 400 rare disease organizations in the United States, the Parseghian Foundation is a leader in raising funds totaling $33 million in fourteen years. The Parseghian family and all its volunteers and supporters and more determined than ever to conquer this disease in an effort to save the lives of thousands of other NP-C children and young adults around the world.
Founded in 1998 by Lou and Beth Holtz, the Holtz Charitable Foundation donates to a variety of non-profit organizations, including Touching Tiny Lives, which support the foundation’s mission to promote Christianity, education, and charity. The Holtz Foundation’s strong relationship with Touching Tiny Lives helps to provide food, medical care and outreach to children in great need of stabilization and services.
Since its founding, the Kelly Cares Foundation has donated more than $2.5 million to support causes locally, nationally and globally. Organizations that have received contributions from the Kelly Cares Foundation include the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Memorial Hospital, Breezy Point Disaster Relief Fund and the Notre Dame Hesburgh Library.
“It says something special about the Notre Dame community to have coaches, past and present, that are so devoted to working to help make a difference in this world by using their blessings and network of supporters to help raise funds that will benefit charities that are doing critical work to help those that need it most.,” said Paqui Kelly, Co-Founder of the Kelly Cares Foundation. “We are proud to be a part of this Notre Dame family that is helping to make a positive impact, here and beyond.”
To learn more about the Kelly Cares Foundation Golf Invitational at Lost Dunes or the Kelly Cares Foundation, or to schedule an interview with Paqui Kelly regarding the event, please contact the Kelly Cares Foundation Executive Director, Lisa Klunder, at lisa.klunder@kellycaresfoundation.org.
About Kelly Cares Foundation
The Kelly Cares Foundation was established in 2010 by the Brian and Paqui Kelly family to support organizations, initiatives and programs that closely align with the goals and values of the Kelly family. A strong emphasis has been made on three main pillars: Health, Education and Community. To accomplish its mission, Kelly Cares emphasizes health, by promoting breast cancer awareness, supporting those in need, funding valuable research, and encouraging prevention; education, by funding educational research and supporting institutional advancement at all levels and capacities; and community, by supporting projects and initiatives that encourage the engagement of individuals in their local communities.
To learn more about the Kelly Cares Foundation and its initiatives, visit www.kellycaresfoundation.org.
— ND —