Joel Berman Wins John Dolan Golf Challenge More than $200,000 Raised for Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Programs
June 23, 2005
CHICAGO - Joel Berman of Wilmette, IL won the John Dolan Golf Challenge with a score of 91 - the lowest score he's ever had.
Berman, a left leg below-the-knee amputee has played golf for over 30 years - 18 of them as an amputee with a prosthetic leg.
"It's incredible. When the guys you play with are having fun, you feel less pressure and have more fun," said Berman, "I have always shot around 100, but before my leg amputation I would drive the ball 275 yards and now it's only 175 yards. I'm still shooting the same score, just shooting straighter."
In its 11th year, the John Dolan Golf Challenge raised more than $200,000 that will go to benefit the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) Pediatric Free Care Fund and Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Sports Program. To date, the event has raised more than $1.3 million net for the organization.
"The RIC Sports program is one of the finest I have seen," said Berman, "They provide great opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sports and really great programming."
Berman is employed by Adaptive Adventures, a not-for-profit company that provides sports & recreation opportunities for children and adults with physical disabilities.
Other winners at the Dolan Golf Challenge included: the Championship Team for the 18-hole challenge with a score of 52; Robert Morrison; Emily Morrison; Danny Dolan Jr.; Jamie Amour and Dennis Ithal.
The winning team for the Nine-Hole Challenge included: Tim Carney; Tom Carney; John Goldrick and Bill Bogdan.
The Dolan family established the John Dolan Golf Challenge as an extension of the John Morgan Dolan Endowment Fund to celebrate the memory of their late son whose spinal cord was severed during childbirth and paralyzed from the chin down. With the establishment of this fund in John's name, the family hopes to inspire others to contribute to this legacy of hope.
The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Sports Program is a year round, cross disability sports and recreation program established in 1982 by the Wirtz family. The sports program currently offers 18 sports and recreational activities free of charge to participants and a fitness center designed to accommodate those with disabilities. For more information, visit www.ricsports.org.
Sponsors of this year's event included: Archipelago; Bank One; BayTree National Bank & Trust; DirectLink Printing; Gatorade; Hartmarx; KPMG; LaSalle Bank; LP Group, Inc; Monticello Associates; Robert E. Wood
About the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is dedicated to helping people with all levels and types of physical disabilities regain or improve their physical functions and empowering them to participate more fully in family, social, vocational and leisure time pursuits. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago the "Best Rehabilitation Hospital in America" every year since 1991. To find out more about RIC visit www.ric.org.
Journalists contact: mediarelations@ric.org, 312-238-6044.
All others contact: webmaster@ric.org.
