Ed and Marie Bosarge of Southport are platinum sponsors of the 22nd annual Boothbay Charities Classic Golf Tournament. They join other locals such as gold level sponsor the Manuel Gordon Foundation, and bronze level sponsor Oberuch Electric.

Local and nationally known sports legends and hall of famers are making arrangements to meet in Boothbay for the 22nd annual Boothbay Charities Classic Golf Tournament, Lobster Bake, and Sports Auction. September 21 and 22 are the dates for this exciting event and all proceeds will go to benefit Special Olympics Maine. Whether it’s football, baseball, hockey, racing or golf, we will likely have something for the sports fan in you.

Celebrities attending the 2012 tournament will include: Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ Otis Sistrunk; Super Bowl champ Earl Morrall from the Colts/Dolphins; Wilbur Wood, knuckleball pitcher from the Red Sox and White Sox; Dan Sullivan from the Colts; Tom Mack NFL Hall of Famer from the Rams; Stump (Carl) Merrill; Wayne Soares from ESPN/Comedy Network; Dick Lamby of the Bruins/St Louis Blues; Tom Yewcic, quarterback and punter for Patriots; Maury Youmans from the Bears; “Spaceman” Bill Lee of the Boston Red Sox; Two-time Super Bowl champ Robin Cole; Boston Bruins great and two-time Stanley cup winner Ken Hodge; Olympic and Pro snow boarder Seth Wescott; Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian; Gino Cappelletti Boston Patriot 1960-1970 and five-time AFL All-Star; Tom Matte, All-American out of Ohio State and 12-year NFL career with the Baltimore Colts; and more. This list will be updated as the event nears.

Sadly, one of our long- time supporters of the tournament will no longer be with us. NFL star Ben Davidson, who has been part of the golf classic for several years now, died on July 2 at the age of 72. Davidson is best known for his 11-year football career playing for the NFL Green Bay Packers, NFL Washington Redskins, NFL Oakland Raiders, AFL Raiders, and WFL Storm. Davidson later went on to try his hand at acting and appeared in “Conan the Barbarian,” “M.A.S.H.,” “Necessary Roughness,” and a Miller Lite commercial. Ben Davidson loved being part of the annual Boothbay Charities Golf Classic for Special Olympics and he will be sadly missed.

Team openings and limited individual golfer positions are still available for the Saturday morning golf tournament, which includes guaranteed pairing with a celebrity, an awesome goodie bag provided by tournament sponsors, and a seat at the Friday night lobster bake and sports auction. If you are interested in participating please contact Brenda Blackman at 380-7770 or call Ken at 633-3914. You can also call these numbers if you are just interested in the lobster bake, which begins at 4 p.m. The sports auction is open to the public at no charge.

In addition to winning $10,000 for a hole in one sponsored by J.Edward Knight Insurance, we are holding a $10,000 Putt For Dough, along with other great prizes to be awarded at the Boothbay Charities Classic played at the Boothbay Country Club on Saturday. Leon Blackman Carpentry & Seafood Sales is sponsoring the Putt For Dough cash award contest. Participating golfers can purchase three preliminary round putts that will be taken at the turn. Successfully holing any legal attempts will qualify the finalists for a playoff to determine the one golfer who will put for $10,000 on the 18th green during the awards ceremony. Current and former professional golfers are ineligible.

A silent sports auction will be available for public viewing and bidding from 4 through 7:30 p.m. on Friday the 21st at the Railway Village under the big top (results will be announced later that evening). Live auction begins at 6 p.m. All fans are welcome. The Lobster Bake will take place under the big top at the Railway Village on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and is a great opportunity for the public to mix and mingle with the celebrities. Chicken is also available. Auction is free to attend. Call to purchase tickets to Lobster Bake.

Businesses and individuals willing to make donations, volunteer time, or to participate in the tournament are extremely appreciated, and crucial to the continued success of this event. Major sponsorships as well as individual hole and tee sponsorships are also still available. For more information please contact Brenda at the above mentioned numbers. If you wish to donate an item to the auction, please contact Tom Erskine at 633-6103. 

Here are a few of the items available at this year's auction: Footballs signed by Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk and Rob Gronkowski; jerseys signed by Dennis Eckersley, Steve Young and Cam Neely; baseballs signed by Jim Rice, Jim Palmer and Carlton Fisk; a basketball signed by Dave Cowens; A hand turned Walnut osage and orange wooden bowl by Ocean Point Woodturning Wooden Bowl Gallery, Lou Landry, Master Woodturner.

Special Olympics Maine is a year round athletic training and competition program for persons with intellectual disabilities of all ages. In Maine there are over 3,500 athletes who participate in the program. This year is expected to be a record breaker.