Benjamin Jr.
…wants to wish a Happy Anniversary to his parents today!
I waited all day for Grandma & Grandpa to come over to babysit so they could help me send a photo with an Anniversary wish for my awesome Mommy & Daddy! I love you!! — JR.
A great day on the course for a very good cause!
The Second Annual Ben Roethlisberger Foundation Invitational took place on Monday, June 3, 2013 at the beautiful Sewickley Heights Golf Club.
The tournament was a huge success – 118 golfers, including teammate and friend Brett Keisel, Mr. Art Rooney II, Steelers Great Franco Harris, Penguins Great Mario Lemieux, and former Steeler and current ESPN NFL analyst Merril Hoge, joined Ben on the course for a full day of golf and games to benefit his Foundation.
And benefit it they did!
The event raised over $100,000 for both of Ben’s Foundation causes: the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania and Southern West Virginia as well as K-9 Police and Fire Units across the country.
Pre-tournament competitions, which included games such as the Quarterback Challenge, Football Drive, Hat Trick, Three Point Shootout, Roulette Golf, Blackjack, a $5,000 Putt Challenge, and a $1 million dollar Shootout (165 yard shot) got the day started. During the tournament golfers had the opportunity to try their hand at other competitions along the course, including Poker & Roulette Golf, a Men’s and Women’s Long Drive, the Straight Drive, and a TPC Sawgrass “Island Green” hole on the 17th.
Golfers enjoyed both a lunch buffet served on the patio before heading out on the course, and a delicious dinner in the clubhouse after the tournament featuring several buffet stations. On the course, the golfers were treated to made-to-order Primanti Bros sandwiches from a specially prepared golf dining cart!
Prizes were awarded to the winners of the day’s games, and gifts as well as autographed items from Ben were given to everyone upon leaving!
This photo collage was made by Drew Taylor, who played in Ben’s tournament with his father, Rick. The highlight for Drew was meeting and posing with both Ben and Franco Harris.
Sponsors for the tournament included Apollo Jets; King Street Grille; PNC Bank; Cisco/Presidio and Summit Golf Brands – the company behind three of the golf industry’s leading brands: Fairway & Greene, EP Pro, and Zero Restriction.
You can check out and enjoy five pages of great photos from Ben’s tournament here! […]
A baby dilemma!
So my mommy made me wear this hat, and I’m just not sure if I like it or not!
What do you think? Can you all help me out and let me know if I look cute or not? — Thanks, JR
You can see all my photos here (Naturally, I’ve pretty much taken over the Roethlisberger Family album!).
Update on Jr.’s fashion dilemma:
Steeler Nation has spoken (especially the fashion-conscious ladies) and it’s unanimous! Over 5,000 likes and responses via email, the site’s Facebook page, and Twitter account and ALL say that mommy wins and the hat stays!
“Thank you for all you do”
From Jeff Weitzman, retired K9 officer with U.S. Customs, on his appreciation of The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation:
Ben, I wanted to write to express my gratitude for all you do.
So many times we as a society forget our athletic superstars are first and foremost people. People with a heart that care about others in ways that are not often completely understood. This wonderful canine program isn’t just about the care and safety of dogs. It is about the care and safety of the general public as a whole.
Having been a Canine Officer and Canine Supervisor I was always amazed at the abilities our canine partners showed time and time again. These amazing animals not only detect narcotics, but can detect explosives, human beings, currency, weapons and countless other items. They are also some of the most loyal companions any person could ever ask for. By the time I had retired from The United States Government, my narcotics detector dog (photo above) had been inducted into the Guinness Book of Worlds Records two times for her detection work. She was inducted again this year. The lives this little dog saved by finding narcotic load after narcotic load can’t be fully understood, until one thinks of the death and destruction these drugs would have and could have brought to the streets of our country.
The love and caring you and your organization not only shows to these animals, but to these outstanding law enforcement organizations, is more than mere words can express. So many law enforcement departments across our country have had to face severe budget cuts. To think that someone like you thinks about more than just yourself brings my heart so much joy that it makes the disabling injuries I suffered on the job a little easier to live with and provides much needed assistance to agencies that are economically disadvantaged. I wish I could come up with new positive descriptive adjectives to express how wonderful I think this organization is but I hope the words I’ve used can express my feelings.
Thank you for all you do! – Jeff Weitzman, United States Customs Service K-9 Officer, retired.
Thank you Mr. Weitzman!
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is currently accepting grants for the 2013 NFL season! You can get information on how […]
Steelers fan heaven at Hells Point!
During Ben’s family vacation to VA Beach this month, he found time to play his second favorite sport – golf, at the beautiful Hells Point course.
Also playing on the course that day were two of Steeler Nation’s finest:
“My friend and I had the pleasure of meeting Ben at one of Virginia Beach’s golf courses, Hells Point. The pace of play was a little slow due to a small tournament that was ahead of both of our groups and we crossed paths around the fifth hole. What can I say, It was a huge pleasure meeting with him. My friend Jimmy Banicar and I approached him casually and said we were both big fans and we just wanted to meet him. Ben was not only inviting, but he seemed very appreciative of our approach.
“After a few pictures and a few moments of conversation, I informed him of a few cool places to check out around town including my restaurant Calypso Bar and Grill. As expected he responded with, “Yeah sure. We will try and stop by!”. Never did I expect he would take my recommendation and actually fit Calypso into his busy schedule – but he did! The staff and guests all agreed they had the best time being around such a down-to-earth person. Meeting Ben was a great pleasure, not only from being a Steelers fan, but also for the class act that he is! Thank you Ben!” — Bryan Connolly, Calypso Bar & Grill, VA Beach
Bryan’s friend, Jimmy, now has #7’s autograph on his Steelers golf bag:
“I was playing golf with my friend Bryan at Hells Point Golf course in Va Beach. We ran into Ben on the course. He could not have been any more friendly! We talked briefly about how I had grown up in Pittsburgh, and how I am the Biggest Steeler Fan ever. Ben is my favorite Steeler of all time. It was so cool of him to stop, talk and take a pic and then to have him sign my Steeler golf bag. What a great day! Thank you Ben!!” — Your #1 fan, Jimmy Banicar
You can see more photos here!
*Thank you Bryan and Jimmy!
Big Ben in Nashville
…at the home of country music icons Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood on Saturday evening for a special Teammates for Kids event!
We are at an Appreciation Party for ‘Teammates for Kids’ with Garth Brooks and my wife is on Cloud 9! Thank you Garth and Trisha for your amazing love and friendship! — Ben
You can see more photos here.
You can also see photos of Ben with fans Suni Keating and Brittny Dorsett here.
Teammates for Kids focuses on helping children in the areas of health, education, and inner-city outreach. From funding Child Life Zones for pediatric hospital patients, to raising money for youth sports leagues, to paying for complicated facial and dental surgeries. They accomplish these goals by partnering with professional athletes, corporations, celebrities, and individuals from the private sector.
You can learn more here.