Unforgettable Golfers Do the Community Good

PGA Champions Tour players David K. Stockton and Tom Pernice Jr. were at Morongo Casino Saturday Sept. 9 for the first annual Tom Pernice Jr. Excellence Award dinner to benefit the new First Tee of the Inland Empire Chapter. The first recipient was Tom Self of San Bernardino Golf Club, a longtime leader in Inland Empire golf. At the event, Stockton and Pernice were thanked by Tim Evans, Founder of The Unforgettables Foundation (TUF), an Inland Empire created charity based in Redlands, which has helped over 5,000 families struggling with the cost of their child's funeral. Dave Stockton, of Redlands, and his family partnered with Evans and The Unforgettables in 2001 on creating The Unforgettable Charity Golf Classic, the non-profit's first full year of funding. Over its six years of annual events at both Tukwet Canyon and Redlands Country Club courses, the Stockton hosted fundraiser will have grossed over $1 million for the start-up charity next year. Other PGA & LPGA players like Gary McCord, Don Pooley, Larry Nelson, Mark Johnson, Morris Hatalsky, Hubert Green, Lisa DePaulo, Donna Caponi-Youn, and Anna Rawson, as well as Dave's sons David Jr. and Ronnie, world class golf teachers with Stockton Golf, participated. Pernice, who won last fall's Champions Tour season finale, The Charles Schwab Championship, in a playoff over Jay Haas, has helped The Unforgettables for six years through the very successful Tom Pernice Jr. Charity Classic at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta for over $1 million as well. The upcoming event is on Oct. 4 and 5. A two-day event with a pre-party gala at BMW of Murrieta on Sunday night before the Monday golf sponsored by Dignity Memorial Funeral homes and Titleist, many of Tom's PGA professional pals donate premier auction items. Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Charley Hoffman, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus are just a few who have shared one of a kind gifts to raise money in honor of Tom. With the support and connections of both professional golfers and the tournaments they have and do host for TUF's benefit, the Redlands area birthed cause, named one of the 90 most unique charities in North America by People Magazine and Major League Baseball in conjunction with the LA Angels of Anaheim, is able to help almost 300 cases where children 18 and younger have died for all causes of childhood death. They also share in the success of The Unforgettables being now in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada at children's hospitals as well as just recently opening in Southern Nevada/Las Vegas as the first extension in the US outside of Calif.