Barbara and Jack Nicklaus hosted the third Creighton Farms Invitational at award-winning Creighton Farms in the Northern Virginia city of Leesburg. The event, held earlier this month, included a reception, dinner and auction held in the clubhouse, followed by a golf tournament hosted the next day.
Surprise co-auctioneer joining in on the program was 4-year-old Aiden Lipscomb, who has battled a cancer of the muscles since he was 5 months old. Now in remission and dressed for the evening in a Superman cape, with the letter A on the back, Aiden inspired the crowd to raise its bids. The dinner concluded with a lively Q&A between Nicklaus and ESPN golf and College GameDay reporter and essayist Tom Rinaldi, winner of 10 National Sports Emmy Awards.
After the reception, participants had the opportunity to golf on the award-winning Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Creighton Farms. This year, the course—a centerpiece to the Creighton Farms community—was recognized in Golfweek’s Best Residential Courses list.
This year’s event raised about $700,000 for the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, bringing the three-year total to almost $1.7 million. This year’s tournament will help to establish the Nicklaus Nutritional Fund for Inova Children’s Hospital’s new 108-bed, Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, thus ensuring that the most fragile, premature babies have the best start at life.
Participating celebrities included Roger Clemens, record seven-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion; Joe Theismann, former quarterback for the NFL’s Washington Redskins and sportscaster; Peter Bondra, former NHL hockey player with the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators; Bob Dandridge, Hall-of-Fame NBA player with the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullets; Ricky Ervins, former NFL running back for the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers; Kevin Grevey, former NBA small forward and shooting guard with the Washington Bullets and Milwaukee Bucks; and Rod Langway, former NHL defenseman with the Montreal Canadians and Washington Capitals.
The Creighton Farms Invitational was organized between Southworth Development—the owners of Creighton Farms—and the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. Money raised by the event will be donated from the Foundation to support pediatric healthcare in the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C., market. Funds from 2012 and 2013 events established the Nicklaus Children’s Clinic for Physical and Occupational Therapy for children battling cancer at Inova’s Children’s Hospital, as well as created a fund for uninsured children with special needs requiring treatment at the Pediatric Specialists of Virginia Outpatient Center.
“Creighton Farms is a special place,” Jack Nicklaus said. “It’s a beautiful property, and Southworth has created an attractive blend of quality amenities and a comfortable atmosphere for members and residents.
“I wish I had the opportunity and privilege to work with more owners like David Southworth and Joe Deitch, who care deeply about the communities in which they have a presence and work tirelessly to support charitable initiatives—especially those focused on helping children—in those places. I look forward to every opportunity I have to visit Creighton Farms, and enjoy the company of the other residents and members.”
Southworth and Deitch also own Willowbend Country Club, whose membership named the Nicklauses their 2014 Honorees preceding their visit to Creighton Farms. During their time at Willowbend, the Nicklauses participated in a Q&A hosted by former Boston sportscaster Bob Lobel, and accepted a plaque that read, “With Barbara as a guiding light, together the Nicklauses have dedicated their lives to helping others in need. They are the first family of golf, and as parents, grandparents and humanitarians, they are role models for all of us.”
Southworth and Deitch then presented a check for $100,000 to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.
