NHL STARS CHRIS DRURY, TOM POTI & TED DRURY

SET TO HOST 9TH ANNUAL TOURNAMENT JUNE 28

 

Annual Event Has Raised $200,000 for Spinal Cord Research

 

Orange, CT -- The 9th Annual Travis Roy Foundation Invitational Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 28, 2004 at the exclusive Race Brook Country Club in Orange, CT. All proceeds will go to the Travis Roy Foundation, and the event has raised more than $200,000 for the nonprofit organization. The events will once again be hosted by NHL stars Tom Poti, Chris Drury and Ted Drury with additional celebrity guests to be announced at a later date.

 

TRAVIS ROY: On October 20, 1995, only eleven seconds into the first shift of his college hockey career, Travis Roy’s dream was cut cruelly short when he shattered his fourth cervical vertebra, severely damaging his spinal cord. Travis Roy is now a quadriplegic, with no feeling below his shoulders and no movement in his legs or left arm. With limited control of his right bicep, Travis is able to conduct simple yet key tasks such as operating the joystick of his wheelchair. Travis has faced his disability with the same sense of optimism and determination that distinguished his hockey career. A May 2000 graduate of Boston University with a degree in public relations, he is a popular motivational speaker and is actively involved with the Travis Roy Foundation. In 1998, he published a book, Eleven Seconds, based on his life.

 

CHRIS DRURY: Chris Drury, a college teammate of Roy’s, launched the Travis Roy Foundation Invitational Golf Tournament in 1996. 2003-04 marked Drury’s first season with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and sixth in the NHL. His accolades have been numerous: US National Team (2004); Olympic Silver Medallist (2002); Stanley Cup Champion (2001); NHL Rookie of the Year (1999); Named one of the Hartford Courant's 25 Top Connecticut Athletes of the Century (1999); Sporting News NHL Rookie of the Year (1999); NHL All-Rookie Team (1999); Hobey Baker Award Winner as top NCAA player (1997), NCAA Champion (1995). Drury’s exposure to the national spotlight came early as the 12-year-old winning pitcher for Trumbull, CT in the 1989 Little League World Series. Dubbed “Mr. Clutch” in the hockey media for his ability to score big goals at key moments, Drury has been referred to as “a future Hall of Famer” by ESPN.

 

TED DRURY:  2003-04 marked Ted Drury’s eleveth professional season and first playing for the Kassel (Germany) Huskies. A member of the 2003 US National Team, Drury has also represented the United States as a member of the 1998 US National Team and the 1992 and 1994 US Olympic Teams. The veteran forward has played in 414 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Hartford Whalers, and Calgary Flames.

 

TOM POTI:  2003-04 marked Tom Poti’s sixth NHL season and second with the NY Rangers. A 2003 NHL All-Star, Poti was a 1999 All-Rookie selection and a 2002 US Olympic Silver Medalist. 2002-03 marked his best season as a pro with a career-high 11g-37a-48pts. He skated for the Boston University Terriers for two seasons and in 1997-98 was an NCAA first team All-American, first team Hockey East All-Star and New England Hockey Writer’s Award winner as the top New England defenseman. Poti, a Worcester, MA native, was a member of the 1996-97 Terriers squad that lost in the NCAA Finals. A guest at every Travis Roy Foundation Invitational Golf Tournament since 1997, this season marks his second as a host of the event.

 

LIVE & SILENT AUCTIONS TO BENEFIT SPINAL CORD RESEARCH: Last season's event, which garnered significant press coverage, was by far the most successful to date as a sellout crowd of more than 250 golfers signed up for the opportunity to golf alongside hosts Chris Drury, Tom Poti and Ted Drury, as well as numerous celebrity guests An additional 500 guests attended the post tournament dinner and auction that included donated items from some of the biggest names in pro sports. Among the most sought-after items of the night in the live and silent auctions: a framed Lance Armstrong yellow jersey; signed items from the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and former Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe; items from Boston Red Sox stars Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez; items from retired NY Yankees greats Don Mattingly and Yogi Berra; and a team-signed 1980 US Olympic Hockey framed print. The dinner and auction are scheduled to begin immediately following the golf tournament, at approximately 5:30 PM.