There’s nothing like a good sports story and there were plenty of them being told last week in Helen. Dozens of sports legends descended on the small Alpine-like village for the annual White County United Way Golf Tournament.
Guest celebrities included former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, former NFL defensive tackle and World Champion Wrestler Bill Goldberg, MLB Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Dewey McClain and Entertainer Michael Finney. Former Cincinnati Reds infielder Darrel Chaney, who now calls Sautee Nacoochee home, headed up the tournament.
Celebrities gathered at the Best Western Hotel in Helen on April 13. They were greeted by sports vendors and fans. Now Habersham’s Brock Bennett was among those on hand to welcome them and to find out why many of them traveled so far to help the White County United Way. McClain – who played for the Falcons from 1976 to 1980 – is now a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. He said it’s important to help out when you can. “It means so much to give back to the community. You can never forget where you came from.” Chaney echoed that sentiment, “It’s always a great feeling to help someone out. I have never known a better group of caring people than the ones you see today.”
The celebrity golfers signed autographs and took pictures with fans, all the while raising money for a good cause. They went up for “auction” the night before the tournament. Registered golfers bid on celebrities so they could play on the same team. Despite the early bad weather on Tuesday, there was a large turnout for the tournament and there were high hopes. Olympian Jennifer Demby told Now Habersham, “I haven’t won this tournament yet, but I feel pretty confident this year.”
The United Way of White County supports 18 non-profit agencies that provide a wide range of human services to the residents of White County.
