32 | MAY 6 • 2021 

T

here will be a 30th 
annual Hank Greenberg 
Memorial Golf and 
Tennis Invitational after all.
The milestone event was sup-
posed to be held June 8, 2020, 
at Franklin Hills Country Club 
in Farmington Hills, but it was 
postponed to Sept. 14, 2020, 
by the Michigan Jewish Sports 
Foundation because of the 
COVID-19 pandemic and later 
canceled.
It was the first time in the 
invitational’s history that it was 
canceled.
A new date of July 7, 2021, at 
Franklin Hills was announced 
last year. But the invitational 
won’t be held that day or at 
Franklin Hills.
It will be held Aug. 23 at 
Tam-O-Shanter Country Club 
in West Bloomfield Township, 
the invitational’s home for many 
years before moving more than 
10 years ago.
The invitational will look 
different than in past years, 
of course. There will be fewer 
attendees because of COVID-19 
gathering restrictions and every-
thing will be held outdoors.
And there will be no walk-ins 
for the dinner and sports panel. 
Dinner reservations must be 
made by Aug. 9.
“No walk-ins shouldn’t come 
as a shock to anyone. We need 
to know how many people will 
be there so we can plan accord-
ingly,
” said Sari Cicurel, the 
foundation’s executive director.
“We normally get between 

10 and 20 walk-ins,
” Cicurel 
said. “Many will call or text me 
during the day of the invitation-
al.
”
The landscape of COVID-19 
restrictions changes frequently, 
so Cicurel doesn’t feel comfort-
able predicting what might be 
happening in August in relation 
to the invitational.
“The bottom line is the 
foundation will follow Tam-
O-Shanter’s rules,
” she said. 
“Tam-O-Shanter gets its guid-
ance from the state and 
CDC (Centers for 
Disease Control). 
We’re not going 
to jump over 
anybody. 
I feel very 
strongly that 
we will present 
a safe invita-
tional.
”
Cicurel said she’s 
knows the economic 
fallout from the pandemic may 
prevent some golfers and spon-
sors from participating in this 
year’s invitational, but she’s been 
pleased so far with the response 
from sponsors.
Some are taking out a new 
sponsorship after allowing the 
foundation to keep their spon-
sorship money last year, she 
said, and some have transferred 
their 2020 sponsorship to this 
year’s event.
The foundation made a 
smaller-than-usual donation 
from the invitational to the 
Karmanos Center Institute at 

the Lawrence and Idell Weisberg 
Cancer Treatment Center in 
Farmington Hills last year, 
Circurel said, but it was able to 
fully fund the Dr. Steven and 
Evelyn Rosen Stars of Tomorrow 
scholarships.
The invitational is the 
major source of funding 
for the scholarships.
One reason for 
the postponement 
and cancellation 
of last year’s 
invitational was 
Franklin Hills’ 
decision not to 
host non-member 
events.
With that roadblock still in 
place this year, foundation offi-
cials turned to Tam-O-Shanter 
to host the invitational.
“We could have had a June 
date at Tam-O-Shanter, but I 
didn’t trust June. I’m more com-
fortable with August,
” Circurel 
said, expressing concerns about 
COVID-19 restrictions.
“We’re very happy with the 
Tam-O-Shanter staff. They have 
been exceptional to work with,
” 
she said.
The 2020 invitational award 
winners will instead receive 
their awards in 2021.
They are Hall of Fame relief 

pitcher Goose Gossage, CBS 
News correspondent and 
11-time Emmy Award win-
ner Armen Keteyian, and the 
Grenader family and Camp 
Mak-A-Dream, a camp in 
Montana for children with can-
cer and their families founded 
by the late Harry and Sylvia 
Grenader of Beverly Hills.
Gossage will receive the Hank 
Greenberg Memorial Lifetime 
Achievement Award, Keteyian 
will receive the Dick Schapp 
Memorial Award for Excellence 
in Media, and the Grenader 
family and Camp Mak-A-Dream 
will receive the Barry Bremen 
Memorial Inspiration Award.
ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap is 
expected to be the emcee for the 
awards presentations and sports 
panel at the dinner, which also 
includes a raffle, live auction and 
door prizes.
With everything being held 
outdoors, Cicurel isn’t allowing 
a certain four-letter meteorolog-
ical word that starts with “R” to 
enter her vocabulary.
“I always have a Plan B for the 
invitational,
” she said. “But all 
I’m focusing on now is Plan A.
”
For sponsorships and infor-
mation, contact Cicurel at (248) 
766-0945 or sari.cicurel@gmail.
com. 

Invitational returns to a former home for 
30th annual event.

Greenberg is a 
Go in August

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SARI CICUREL

Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Morris (left) answers a question 
while broadcaster George Blaha and sports panel emcee Jeremy 
Schapp listen during the 2019 Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf and 
Tennis Invitational.

SPORTS

