April 24, 2002

Contact: Allison Rose Lopez, KU School of Education, (785) 864-9610.

Gale Sayers golf tournament to benefit KU School of Education

LAWRENCE -- This May, Lawrence-area golfers again have the opportunity to help fund scholarships for students at the University of Kansas School of Education.

The ninth annual Gale Sayers Benefit Golf Tournament will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, May 3, at the Alvamar Public Golf Course, 1800 Crossgate Drive in Lawrence. The KU School of Education's national advisory board, which sponsors the event, created the tournament to raise scholarship money. Last year's tournament raised approximately $15,000 for student scholarships.

Gale Sayers, who will attend the event, is a 10-year member of the board, and he served on the national board of directors for the KU Alumni Association. Sayers earned two degrees from the School of Education, completing his bachelor's in physical education in 1975 and his master's in educational administration in 1977.

Sayers, known as the "Kansas Comet" when he played football for KU in the 1960s, is a two-time All-American tailback. He was drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears in 1965 and played for the team for six years. In 1982, Sayers and his wife started a computer reselling firm, Sayers Computer Source, which now has 10 branches across the United States. In 1999, Sayers was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

The general public is invited to participate in the tournament. Registration is $160 for a single player and $800 for a five-player team. Holes can be sponsored for $500; a hole and a five-player team can be sponsored for $1,000. All donations are tax-deductible at $100 per player, $500 per team, $500 per sponsored hole and $700 for a sponsored-hole-five-player team combo.

To register or for more information, call (785) 864-9610.