Lou Grubb honored with Legacy Award
The 37th annual Lou Grubb Friends Fore Golf (LGFFG) charity event was held April 22 and 23 at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort and McCormick Ranch Golf Club and was a success, meeting the fundraising goal of more than $400,000 raised to benefit St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute.
The event included the kick-off dinner and auction on Thursday evening at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, emceed by Mark Curtis of 12 News and Lou Grubb’s son-in-law, Dennis Sage. The dinner was followed by an 18-hole tournament and awards dinner the next day at McCormick Ranch Golf Club.
A highlight of this year’s festivities was the presentation of the Lou Legacy Award, created and donated by Cathy and Tom Reahard, and given to Lou Thursday evening during the event as a small thank-you for his friendship, support, and dedication to improving the lives of patients at St. Joseph’s and Barrow.
Lou Grubb first came to Arizona from Long Island in 1945 because of his asthma. He had $27 in his pocket when he stepped off the train in Phoenix. By 1972, Lou had begun building what would become an admired automotive empire – based on the Golden Rule, treating the customer the way he would want to be treated.
In 1986, Lou’s life took an unexpected turn. He was playing golf when an aneurysm in his brain ruptured. Doctors at the hospital where Lou was taken held out little hope for his survival. His wife, Evie, insisted that Lou be transferred to Barrow and it was here that Lou and Dr. Robert Spetzler’s lives intersected when Spetzler operated on him.
Lou’s medical crisis inspired him to begin donating proceeds from his annual golf tournament to Barrow Neurological Institute.
2010’s LGFFG also included a live auction with nine fabulous packages, which took place Thursday evening. In addition, dozens of items were part of a silent auction. The items were donated by vendors in our community that have worked with the LGFFG for years and came through, even in these difficult financial times, to make a contribution.
Bondurant Racing School donated to the raffle and Dennis Sage Home Entertainment supported the event with many key prizes – including a Bose Wave Sound System, which was a big hit.
Golfers at Friday’s event took home antique hickory golf clubs made into trophies and donated by Lou and Evie.
Heritage Pewter created a bronze image of Lou and produced the Lou Legacy Award and the bag tags, which were given to golfers. And, after hearing about Lou and his contributions to the hospital through LGFFG, the company donated all of this to the tournament.
Lead sponsors CBIZ and the Arizona Diamondbacks each provided gifts to the golfer goodie bags. New sponsors included the Pierre and Sue Ellen Leroy Charitable Foundation, Superstition Mountain Golf, Louis XV Jewelers, and LifeLock.
The Foundation staff thanks the committee, 85-plus volunteers, and participants who worked to make this year’s event a success.
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