Former Patriots Star Joe Andruzzi Hits the Links for Cancer Patients at Golf Tournament

 

There won’t be tackles or touchdowns, but there just might be birdies and eagles on May 23, when some of the area’s professional athletes and celebrities swing their clubs for cancer patients and their families at the third annual Joe Andruzzi and Friends Golf Tournament at the Tournament Players Club.

Andruzzi, a former New England Patriot and a cancer survivor, will join forces with  former teammates, current players, celebrities and friends during the four-person scramble benefiting the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, which offers financial assistance to cancer patients and their families and funds pediatric brain cancer research.

Celebrities scheduled to tee off at the event include New England Patriots Sebastian Vollmer, Jermaine Cunningham, Tully Banta-Cain, Rob Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen. Former Patriots slated to attend include Matt Chatham, Christian Fauria, Pete Brock, Jim Bowman, Harold Shaw, Jermaine Wiggins and Jon Williams, along with former Bruins star Bob Sweeney, WAAF-FM “Hill-Man Morning Show” host Greg Hill and Patriots strength and conditioning coach Harold Nash.

“Having survived non-Hodgkins Burkitt’s lymphoma, my wife Jen and I both witnessed and experienced firsthand the hardships that families face when dealing with cancer. After I was thankfully able to beat the disease, Jen and I made it our mission to help those less fortunate than us,” Andruzzi said. “For the third consecutive year, we’ve rallied support from the community for our signature Joe Andruzzi and Friends fundraising golf tournament, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the Patriots, our sponsors, and our friends for making this event possible. We’re proud to make a real difference in the lives of so many cancer patients and their families.”

During the fun-filled day, golfers gather for a shotgun tee-off at 1 p.m. and conclude the round with a helicopter drop at 6 p.m., during which West Bridgewater brain tumor survivor Joey Llanes and his mother, Debora, a current breast-cancer patient, will enjoy a scenic helicopter ride over the tournament course, where they will drop 500 numbered golf balls that have been raffled off; the owner of the ball that gets closest to the hole on the 18th green will win a grand prize. Following the excitement, cocktails and appetizers will be served at 6:15 p.m. and an awards ceremony and dinner will commence at 7 p.m.

The evening culminates with a live auction featuring sports memorabilia, entertainment packages and more. In addition, an online silent auction features items including a Bill Belichick-autographed football, tickets to “The Lion King,” a Tom Brady-autographed Patriots football jersey, a Pandora charm bracelet, a Dustin Pedroia-autographed baseball, a Roadmaster mountain bike and a Micky Ward-autographed boxing glove.

Since its inception, the Joe Andruzzi Foundation has provided financial assistance to 45 cancer patients and their families, helping them to make rent or mortgage and utility payments so that the families can focus on helping their loved ones get well. It has also donated $175,000 to Dr. Mark Kieran at Children’s Hospital Boston to help fund pediatric brain cancer research. Andruzzi  regularly invites current players and former teammates to join him on hospital visits to personally support patients who are helped by the Foundation.

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Hobbs Brook Management LLC and Autotrader.com are working with the Foundation in support of the Joe Andruzzi and Friends Golf Tournament.