Steamboat Pilot & Today

It's a chance to go to the 2004 Super Bowl, check out the scenery in Costa Rica and play golf at some of Steamboat's most notable courses.

It's also a chance to help support Yampa Valley Medical Center, the Rotary Club and area high school students through the Doak Walker Memorial Endowment Fund.

The Ski Town USA Golf Classic will begin Friday with 100 golfers teeing off at the Catamount Ranch and Club and another 100 golfers playing the Sheraton Steamboat Resort. On Saturday, the golfers will swap courses for the second day of the tournament.

Bonnie Boylan, staff member for the Healthcare Foundation, said the field for the golf tournament is full and tickets for Friday night's auction, which are on sale for $40, also are limited. The event is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

"We still have a few left, but they are going fast," Boylan said.

The golf tournament, which is a four-person best-ball format, is one of the most popular in the Yampa Valley during the summer, she said, and the auction is attracting a following, too.

"We have 300 packages to bid on," Boylan said. "It should be another good auction."

The top item at last year's auction was a trip to Churchill Downs to witness the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Boylan doesn't know which item will be the most popular at this year's event, but with more than 500 (most packages contain multiple items) to choose from she sure there should be another gem to be found.

Last year, the golf tournament and auction generated $200,000 in donations for its beneficiary organizations. The event's two auctions pulled in half of the money.

"We have all kinds of people who come out and support these causes each year,' Boylan said. "Some of them are just charity golfers who want to come out and support a worthy cause and others are more serious and want to win a title.'

Either way, Boylan said the event raises money that comes back to the community in numerous ways.

The tournament has already gotten support from title sponsors like Pepsi, Coors and Invesco.

Invesco chipped in many of the items for Friday's auction, including a corporate suite at a Colorado Avalanche game.

Other items will include a season ski passes from the Steamboat Ski Area, a Moots bicycle and a pig roast for 50 courtesy of the Steamboat Smokehouse.

"We have jewelry, sports memorabilia, trips and outdoor adventures," Boylan said. "We've received great support and hundreds and hundreds of donations."

-- To reach John F. Russell call 871-4209

or e-mail jrussell@steamboatpilot.com