PRESS RELEASE
Azalea Charities –Sponsored Golfers win Gold and Silver Medals at 2011 Special Olympic World Games
Prince William, VA July 20, 2011 – Azalea Charities is proud to announce the success of two local athletes in the Special Olympic World Summer Games recently in Athens, Greece. Golfers Grace Anne Braxton and David Curtin, representing Special Olympics Virginia for Team USA, won gold and silver medals, respectively. For the past three years, Azalea Charities has dedicated a portion of the profits from its annual Azalea Classic Pro-Am Invitational to sending these athletes to the 2011 Games.
Grace Anne Braxton of Fredericksburg brought home a gold medal in the women’s 18-hole stroke play division. Competing against golfers from around the world, Braxton won the Division I women’s competition by shooting a cumulative 383 for four 18-hole rounds (96-92-90-105). This is Grace Anne’s second Olympic gold medal in golf, having earned the first gold at the 2007 summer games in Shanghai, China. Braxton has been involved with Special Olympics for over 25 years, playing golf for 19 years and winning numerous state and national championships. A multi-sport athlete, Grace also won a gold medal at the 1991 World Summer Games as a competitive swimmer.
David Curtin, a golfer from Springfield, VA, took silver in the men’s 18-hole tournament with a cumulative 409 for his four rounds. David Curtin has participated in Area 26 Special Olympics since he was a young child, competing in golf, swimming, track & field, basketball, and softball. David developed a love of golfing as a young boy playing in the backyard with a plastic club and ball. Last July, David won a gold medal competing in Level 5 Individual Play at the Special Olympics National Games in Lincoln Nebraska. He recently played in the Azalea LPGA Pro-Am Invitational, teaming with LPGA golfer Stephanie Louden.
Azalea Charities has integrated the game of golf into its support of Special Olympics from Arlington to Fredericksburg since 1999. For the past three years, proceeds from the Annual Azalea Classic Pro-Am Invitational have been earmarked to send athletes to the 2011 Special Olympic World Summer Games. Every year, Azalea Charities devotes one day of the Azalea Classic to a clinic for Special Olympics and Boys and Girls Club athletes so they can learn the game of golf from participating professional golfers.
Frank Lasch, Chairman of Azalea Charities, says, “We have looked forward to sending these athletes to the World Summer Games, and it is thrilling to find out they have done so well. Supporting Special Olympians is a way to fulfill Azalea Charities’ mission of aid to the community in a way that cuts across all social and economic layers.”
According to Roy Zeidman, Senior Vice President, Special Olympics Virginia, “We are grateful to our friends at Azalea Charities for their years of support. Sport is the vehicle that we use to show the public the capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, breaking down barriers and making our communities more inclusive. Azalea Charities has assisted these athletes in achieving great success at the World Games and will continue to help us change lives.”
About Special Olympics Virginia
Special Olympics Virginia is a year-round program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. By using sport as a vehicle for social change, Special Olympics Virginia strives to create opportunities for meaningful interaction and self discovery for everyone. The organization’s goal is to open the heart and mind of every Virginian to the value and capabilities of persons with intellectual disabilities.
Azalea Charities supports Special Olympics programs in Northern Virginia that serve over 2,200 athletes in all of the communities of Arlington County, City of Alexandria, and Fairfax County (Area 26); Loudoun (Area 14); Prince William County (Area 23); Fredericksburg, Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford, (Area 11).
About Azalea Charities
Azalea Charities is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization in Prince William County, Virginia. The organization is staffed entirely by volunteers who donate their time, talent and money. Azalea Charities raises funds for its community charities and Aid for Wounded Warriors through contributions and sponsorship of Team Azalea Charities in the Marine Corps Marathon and the Azalea Classic Pro-Am Invitational Golf Classic, the organization’s keystone event held each May at the Piedmont Club. Beyond minimal expenses, all the funds they raise go to their charitable core causes. Further information is available at www.azaleacharities.org.