Event Fast Approaching

After months of anticipation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association is excited to announce that the 15th annual Mike Bellotti Dinner Auction and Golf Classic are right around the corner. These two events bring together Oregon Football Coach Mike Bellotti, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the local community to raise funds for research and awareness about the 43 neuromuscular diseases the organization covers.

The Dinner Auction will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2008, at the Club at Autzen Stadium. The event includes both silent and live auctions.

Live auction items include:
Royal Caribbean Cruise to the Bahamas and Bermuda
“Extreme” Kitchen and Backyard Makeovers
Mike Bellotti Corporate Speech

And silent auction items include:
Framed and Signed Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart UO Football Jerseys
$3,000 Jerry’s Home Improvement Center Gift Card
Other gift certificates from Mucho Gusto, Café Yumm, Pizza Pete’s, Rennie’s, Sweet Life,

etc.


The golf classic will be held on Monday, May 12, 2008, at Eugene Country Club. Teams make donations to MDA that directly fund research and activities helping families coping with neuromuscular diseases.

Here are some tips from TipsForGolfing.com to prepare yourself for golfing at the event:
• The putter must stay down through the ball to keep it on line. If it goes off to the right, you may have moved your head. Keep your head still especially on short putts.
• The face of the club must be square at address and at impact. A square clubface is required to strike the golf ball solid.
• Long irons require a steady tempo to achieve the distance dictated by the length of the shaft and loft of the club. Remember, the longer the the shaft of the iron, the slower the swing. Don't rush your swing; smooth is better than fast.

Visit our registration page for more information and to register for the event.

Mike Bellotti Buddy Day

University of Oregon Former Linebacker, Brent Haberly

One of the goals of the Mike Bellotti Dinner Auction and Golf Classic, scheduled May 10 and 12, 2008, is to help families coping with neuromuscular diseases have the chance to attend summer camp.

On April 24, 2008, about five children who attend the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)summer camp and their families will attend a spring football practice at Autzen Stadium. After practice, those families will have dinner with the Oregon Ducks football team at the Casanova Center. At the end of the dinner, they will tour the Autzen Stadium facilities with football players who volunteered to spend time with the children.

This year will mark the 3rd Annual Buddy Day that Coach Mike Bellotti and the Oregon Duck Football Team have arranged.

Buddy Day began three years ago through Brent Haberly, former University of Oregon football player, whose cousin is a MDA camper. Every year, the event is a success. Buddy Day gives local families a fun and unique experience, and also grants Coach Bellotti a chance to connect his players with the mission of MDA.

All About Eugene Country Club

An oasis of lush greenery, tranquil waterways and pristine bunkers, the Robert Trench Jones golf course at the historic Eugene Country Club has earned a reputation for excellence over the years.

The Mike Bellotti Golf Classic is proud to hold its annual tournament here. It is regarded as “one of the nation’s premier country clubs.”

The Eugene Country Club is the second oldest country club in Oregon. Founded in 1899, it has developed into one of the finest clubs in the United States. The Eugene Country Club provides its members and guests with exceptional facilities and services, which include an immaculate golf course, a recreational swimming pool, an elegant dining venue and professional meeting rooms.

With a rich history of more than 100 years and a strong sense of tradition, the Eugene Country Club has been rated by Golf Digest as one of the top golf courses in the country since 1995. It has proven to serve its members and guests with the utmost regard and service.

Your experience participating in the Mike Bellotti Golf Classic on May 12, 2008, will be unforgettable at its new location, the Eugene Country Club.

Volunteers Wanted

Volunteering is extremely rewarding. The satisfaction stems from making a difference and changing lives.

The perfect place to start a volunteer position is the MDA Summer Camp. MDA Summer Camp’s have a one-to-one camper-to-counselor ratio, making the relationships created between camper and counselor very close and special to each party. Friendships are created at Summer Camp between counselor and camper that will last a lifetime. The Counselor’s job is not easy, but with the hard work comes a satisfaction you can’t get anywhere else.

Counselor duties include:

· Attending to the campers physical needs (bathing, dressing feeding, etc)
· Watching over their health and reporting anything out of the ordinary
· Encouraging the camper to participate in camp activities
· Participating with your camper in all activities
· Spreading a cheerful attitude throughout the camp and your cabin

Volunteers are required to be 16 or older and are thoroughly screened with background checks, health inspections, and a personal interview before being accepted. They then go through a training based around the special needs of children with neuromuscular diseases. This experience is an exceptional one, and one that is remembered by both camper and counselor for the rest of their lives.

Volunteer. Take the time out to help these children and find that they actually give you something back in return.

For more information on volunteering for Summer Camp, click here.

You can also contact the Eugene MDA branch directly at: (541) 686-2753 or eugenedistrict@mdausa.org.

REGISTER NOW!

Did you receive a save the date card in the mail? If you are interested in registering for the the Mike Bellotti Dinner Auction and Golf Classic, you’ve come to the right place.

Mike Bellotti Dinner Auction:

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Club at Autzen Stadium

Golf Classic:

Monday, May 12, 2008

Eugene Country Club

Registration for the event is now available through our Web site.

To begin:
· Click here or “Register” at the top of the page.
· Download the registration form by clicking on the link.
· Print out the form from your computer.
· The file will download as a PDF document. If your computer cannot read PDF files, a free

PDF file reader is available here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/reader

Once you complete the form, please mail it with your check to:
MDA
1500 Valley River Drive #300
Eugene, OR 97401

You can also fax a copy of the form to (541) 344-9562.

Put a team together and register today in order to tee off, dine or bid for a wonderful cause. The last day to register is May 10, 2008.

If you have any additional questions or problems with the registration process, please contact Joe Boyd at (541) 686-2753.

Bellotti—A Great Help to MDA

Robert Michael Bellotti, more commonly known as Mike Bellotti, serves as the Honorary Chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Since his start as the University of Oregon’s head football coach in 1995, he has headed the Mike Bellotti Golf Classic and Ultimate Tailgate Party to benefit the organization.

+Bellotti graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1973 with an honors physical education major and a math and chemistry minor.
+Bellotti obtained his master’s degree in physical education at California State University, Hayward.
+Bellotti's record at the University of Oregon stands at 106-52 since 1995 and holds the school record for the winningest head coach.
+With victories in the Fiesta Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl, Bellotti has more post-season victories than any football coach in Oregon history.

+In the 2007, Coach Bellotti led Oregon to maintain a position in the top ten for most of the season to a regular season No. 2 ranking. Oregon beat out No. 12 USC and No. 4 Arizona State as well.
+Bellotti is the proud father of three children, Luke, Keri and Sean. The family resides in Eugene, Ore. where they are active members of the community.

Mike Bellotti is not only a leader to his players on the football field, but he is also a leader in the community. His steady support of MDA helps families like Oregon football’s assist coach, Gary Campbell, whose son, Bryan, lives with a neuromuscular disease.

Bellotti encourages MDA fundraisers and aide programs and concentrates tremendous energy to the association making a profound difference in community members lives.

MDA Summer Camp

For one week a year, children with neuromuscular diseases get to laugh and play like other children and live in a place where their disabilities bring them together, not set them apart. This place is MDA Summer Camp, located at Camp Arrah Wanna in beautiful Welches, Ore.

Since 1955, MDA has been providing weeklong summer camps for children ages 6 to 21 living with neuromuscular diseases. Campers have the opportunity to make lasting friendships with other campers and their counselors.

Some of the interactive camp activities include:

· Swimming
· Softball
· Basketball
· Arts and crafts
· Ropes course
· Video games
· Face painting
· Water guns and balloons
· And many, many more

The camp allows the children to float in the water and swim around for potentially the first time ever.

For these children, this is their time. This is the week of their lives.

For more information about MDA Summer Camp, please click here.

You can also contact the Eugene MDA branch directly at (541) 344-9562 or eugenedistrict@mdausa.org.