Bedding major Simmons said it will be a major sponsor of Howard Young's 2013 Atlanta Golf Classic, supporting pancreatic cancer research.
Atlanta-based Simmons will co-sponsor the charity golf tournament, which expects to attract 120 golfers Oct. 7 just north of Atlanta at the Capital City Crabapple Golf Club in Alpharetta, Ga.
The fourth annual tournament, which each year has raised more than $100,000 for TGen's pancreatic cancer research, will be co-hosted by the Seena Magowitz Foundation, John Morley, Tom Vitale and Howard Young, a pancreatic cancer survivor who chairs the TGen Foundation's National Pancreatic Cancer Committee.
"The addition of Simmons as a major sponsor is a significant milestone in the brief history of this highly successful fundraising tournament," said Young, an Atlanta businessman who has survived pancreatic cancer for more than a decade. "I owe my life to TGen, and especially to TGen Physician-in-Chief Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, one of the nation's leading experts on this disease."
Only one in four pancreatic cancer patients survive more than a year, and fewer than 6% survive more than five years.
Simmons President Tony Smith said his company is honored to contribute to TGen's research initiatives.
"As an Atlanta-based company, Simmons is happy to partner with fellow Atlantan Howard Young in this most worthwhile cause, which can help bring hope and, perhaps someday a cure, to tens of thousands of cancer patients stricken each year with this deadly disease," Smith said.
Pancreatic cancer is the nation's fourth leading cause of cancer-related death, responsible this year for an estimated 45,000 new cases and more than 38,000 deaths. There is no method of early detection, so pancreatic cancer patients often are not diagnosed until their cancer is in its advanced stages.
The Atlanta Golf Classic kicks off the fall fundraising drive of the Seena Magowitz Foundation, which supports pancreatic cancer research and clinical trials conducted by TGen, a Phoenix-based nonprofit biomedical research center.
"The addition of Simmons as a lead sponsor of the Atlanta Golf Classic positions the tournament for a significant expansion in the future," said bedding veteran Roger Magowitz, who established the Seena Magowitz Foundation in honor of his mother, who died of pancreatic cancer.
On Dec. 7, the Magowitz Foundation will host its 11th annual Seena Magowitz Golf Classic, returning for the third year to the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix. Last year's Phoenix and Atlanta tournaments collectively raised more than $500,000 for TGen's international initiative to eradicate pancreatic cancer.
The Atlanta Golf Classic on Oct. 7 begins with registration starting at 8 a.m. and a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. The awards luncheon at 2:30 p.m. includes a raffle and live auction.
