Holliday Hosts 10th Annual Golf Classic Monday
6/22/2015 6:00:00 PM | Terrapin Athletics
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Hall of Fame Maryland broadcaster Johnny Holliday hosted the 10th Annual Johnny Holliday Scholarship Golf Classic on Monday, June 22 as his way to give back to young students in Washington, D.C.
The event began with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. at the University of Maryland Golf Course followed by an awards presentation and dinner.
In order to provide academic opportunities for underserved youth in Washington, D.C., Holliday, in partnership with the Youth Leadership Foundation (YLF), founded the Johnny Holliday Scholarship Classic in 2005. The two-fold goal of the Scholarship Classic is to raise funds for the Johnny Holliday Scholarship Fund at the University of Maryland, and to support YLF's ongoing work of boosting academic performance while developing character in promising local youth.
“It is all about the kids. This is our 10th year and our biggest year,” Holliday said. “Last year, we went over the million dollar-mark for this tournament. This is going to help those kids who may have had a short deck of cards dealt to them. We are thankful for the people who came out to join forces today. Every single person feels that same passion about giving back and it's great to see.”
Basketball legend Walt Williams, a current radio analyst for the Terps, who also attended Crossland High School and is a naïve of Temple Hills, sincerely appreciates the commitment Holiday has made to the community.
“I'm from the Prince George County area, so I know how important this scholarship and fundraiser means to our area,” said Walt Williams.
The Scholarship Fund provides academic scholarships for high-performing YLF students to attend the University of Maryland. Since its inception, Johnny's tournament has raised over $1 million for YLF and its students. Founded in 1997, YLF has seen 97% of its students graduate from high school and go on to college.
Distinguished Maryland alumni who participated included: Hall of Fame head coach Gary Williams, Drew Nicholas, the aforementioned Walt Williams, Scott McBrien and Tim Brant. Men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon, assistant coaches Cliff Warren and Dustin Clark and basketball radio analyst Chris Knoche, who also is a board member for the foundation, were in attendance and supported Holiday's charitable initiative.
“It is very easy to help Johnny with this important cause because he will help anyone at the drop of the hat,” said Gary Williams, who worked with Holliday during his 22 seasons as the head coach of Maryland.
“Johnny does so much for our community, so it was an honor to participate in this tournament,” said McBrien, a three-year starter at quarterback who was the Most Valuable Player in the 2004 Gator Bowl and 2002 Peach Bowl and currently serves as football analyst for the Terps' radio broadcast with Holliday and Tim Strachan. “This is for an outstanding cause with all the proceeds benefiting kids and education.”
In 2011, the Community Champion Award was inaugurated, to be presented annually at Holliday's event in recognition of a local community leader who exemplifies a spirit of service and commitment to the betterment of the local community. Past recipients include Gary Williams (2011), The Lerner Family (2012) and Chief J. Thomas Manger (2013).
Kevin Plank, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Under Amour, Inc., was presented with the Community Champion Award. Plank, a special teams captain of the University of Maryland football team and 1996 graduate, came up with the idea for enhanced performance apparel while sweating through a cotton shirt during a summer practice in College Park.
The world soon took notice of Under Armour's performance fabrics, and 19 years later the company is a multi-billion dollar global brand and the make of the most innovative performance footwear, apparel and accessories in the world.
An active member on the University of Maryland's Board of Trustees, Plank recently committed $25 million to launch the new Cole Field House project to transform Maryland's historic arena into the nation's preeminent academic, research and athletic facility.
Plank's commitment to the Maryland community is reflected in Under Armour's ambitious Give Back initiatives and his personal work with local organizations. Through the Give Back initiative, Under Armour supports countless community organizations and remains committed to improving the city it calls home. The Brand and its thousands of teammates extend their resources, products, and time to help more than 20 Baltimore community empowerment organizations.
Holliday has been the Voice of the Terrapins for 36 seasons and originally joined the Terrapin Sports Radio Network in 1978. In addition to his work with Maryland, Holliday is currently the host of Nats Xtra on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).
For more information on the Johnny Holliday Scholarship Classic and the Youth Leadership Foundation, visit www.ylfdc.org
