Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic Raises Over $1.4 Million
The annual golf tournament and gala was hosted by Keith’s longtime friend, Sammy Hagar.
The 21st Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic raised more than $1.4 million May 30-31 at Riverwind Casino and Keith’s Belmar Golf Club in Norman, Oklahoma. Exceeded only by last year’s total – which included the one-time establishment of an endowment – the funds benefit The Toby Keith Foundation’s work supporting OK Kids Korral, which the late singer, songwriter, and entertainer called “my best gift I’ve ever given to the world.”
This year’s Toby Keith & Friends was hosted by his longtime friend, Sammy Hagar, who kicked off the gala with a $10,000 donation from the Hagar Family Foundation. Asking if anyone wanted to match, an attendee offered $25,000 and Keith’s wife, Tricia Covel added another $25,000. The donations took off from there. More than $100,000 was raised in the event’s first two minutes. “Now that’s the way to start a fundraiser!” Hagar said. “I had a blast … would be happy to do it again. Toby would’ve done that and more for me any day.”
The live auction, emceed by Shawn Parr and aided by longtime event supporter and Keith family friend, Jim West, raised more than $600,000. The highest-dollar items included a Kentucky Derby package that went for $60,000, a Tuscan Villa experience that sold three times at $40,000 each, and a Toby Keith Limited Edition Military Guitar that sold twice for $35,000.
Silent auction items receiving high bids included a George Strait autographed cowboy hat for $7,000 and a Lainey Wilson concert experience that went for $6,800. Music from Party On The Moon entertained the crowd throughout the evening.
Following the gala, fifty-three golf teams participated in the shotgun start tournament at Keith’s beloved Belmar Golf Club. Winners in the A Flight were Mark Vanhoose, Bryan Vineyard, Kelsey Cline, Talor Gooch, and Matt Walker. Second place went to Steve Fulkerson, Shawn Fulkerson, Conner Walker, Michael Leake, and Jett Johnson.
