July 25, 2007PORTLAND, Ore. — Celebrating the event's 20th anniversary in fitting style, more than 180 golfers helped raise a record $210,000 for the Providence Child Center Foundation at the NBA/NFL Celebrity Golf Challenge and Party with the Pros Dinner Auction June 24 and 25. The weekend of activities included a dinner auction hosted by child center supporter Mike Erickson, featuring sports memorabilia and international trips, and a golf challenge at Oswego Lake Country Club that paired current and former sports stars with community members. The golf challenge and dinner auction began 20 years ago with a friendly wager between former NFL great Gail Cogdill and retired NBA star Darrall Imhoff, and has always benefited the Providence Child Center. Cogdill helped his team win this year’s challenge with a net adjusted team score of 54. Proceeds from the 2007 event will support the Providence Child Center's rich continuum of services for children, including skilled nursing care, a Montessori School, a child development program and comprehensive neurodevelopmental evaluation and treatment services. The child center also is home to the Jean Baton Swindells Resource Center for Children and Families, which provides assistance, information, resources and education on a variety of disability-related subjects to families, caregivers and friends of children with special needs. A special appeal at the dinner auction raised $31,000 for critical therapies at the Center for Medically Fragile Children, part of the Providence Child Center. The only center of its kind in the Northwest, CMFC is home to 58 children with severe disabilities and complex medical needs and always has a waiting list. The average annual cost of care for a child at the center is $141,000. Care is funded through a combination of donations, insurance and government funding. Russ Beaverton Toyota celebrated its 15th year as presenting sponsor.
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