DANA POINT : Sports Greats, Youths to Mingle at Benefit

Some of the greatest figures in sports history will meet a group of underprivileged youths at a charity benefit on Monday .

Sports heroes such as Duke Snider, Otto Graham and Rafer Johnson will participate in a golf tournament/sports memorabilia auction at the Monarch Beach Golf Course to benefit the Pat McCormick Educational Fund.

McCormick, a four-time Olympic gold medal winner, pays for academic camps, tutoring and educational field trips for teen-agers 14 to 17 in the Hacienda Heights/La Puente area.

Reservations are required in order to participate. Tax-deductible donations are $175 for golf and dinner or $50 for just the dinner program. The Monarch Beach Golf Course is at 33080 Niguel Road.

The former Olympic athlete hopes to raise $30,000 for the foundation at Monday’s event. Using her connections in the sports world, McCormick has attracted famous athletes such as Al Oerter, Billy Mills, Jack Snow and many others. Other sports legends are helping the foundation by contributing memorabilia for the auction.

Among the collectibles to be auctioned are: a book passed out to athletes in the 1936 Olympics signed by both Adolph Hitler and Jesse Owens; the team uniform of Frank Lubin, captain of the first Olympic basketball team in 1936; other items from sports greats such as Gordie Howe, Don Drysdale and Jerry West.

But the real stars of the event will be the youngsters, McCormick said.

“It helps them immeasurably to be around these people,” she said. “When people like Rafer Johnson and Duke Snider praise your efforts, you’re going to feel good about yourself.”

McCormick and a group of volunteers provide support, extra tutoring, field trips, whatever it takes to boost the youngsters’ self-worth and educational opportunities.

About 25 teen-agers are taking part in the program. One of the first participants, a Latino boy whose heroin-addicted mother is incarcerated, will be graduating this coming year.

“It’s not fun and games for these children,” McCormick said. “If somebody doesn’t step in with this kid and help him set goals for college, it won’t get done.

For information, call (714) 493-3733.