The public is invited to join Larry Dierker and other local celebrities at the Blackhorse Golf Club Sept. 22 to celebrate the Houston Astros legend's 70th birthday. The celebration also serves as a fundraiser for local nonprofit Cy-Hope, of which Dierker serves as president of the board of directors. Cy-Hope works to improve the lives of at-risk Cy-Fair ISD students through a variety of programs. Dierker—a former Astros pitcher, manager and announcer—has been an instrumental part of Cy-Hope since the nonprofit was founded in 2011, said Holly Calbat, who manages finance and donor relations. Calbat said Cy-Hope has three major fundraisers each year, and the Larry Dierker Celebrity Golf Bash will be this year’s largest. "This event is [very important] to our organization," she said. "We’re a nonprofit, so we depend entirely on donations." Cy-Hope’s programs include the backpack program—which involves providing 1,450 CFISD students with backpacks filled with food every week to take home for the weekend—and Camp Lemonade, which sends 80 students to summer camp every year. Cy-Hope officials hope to have 30 teams of four participating in the event. Each team plays with its own celebrity, including sportscaster Bob Allen and NBA player Robert Reid. Teams must pre-register by Sept. 16. To have name recognition in the event’s program, sponsors must sign up by Sept. 2, but other sponsorship opportunities will still be available after that deadline. Individuals can also donate at www.gofundme.com/dierkerbdaybash. Registration on Sept. 22 begins at 10 a.m., and the event itself will begin with a shotgun start at noon.
Blackhorse Golf Club 12205 Fry Road, Cypress 713-466-4673 www.cy-hope.org