FEBRUARY 26, 2024 EVENT FEATURES USC FOOTBALL LEGENDS TO BENEFIT AT-RISK YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES
BY MADELINE ZUCKERMAN
PHOTOS BY GREGG FELSON
Child Abuse continues to occur at alarming rates in our community and all across the country.
Here Are Some Alarming Statistics:
- There is a report of child abuse made every 10 seconds in the United States
- Five children die every day from child abuse
- There are more than 400,000 children in the Child Welfare System at any given time
- 60,000 allegations of abuse or neglect are made to the Child Abuse Hotline annually in Riverside County, of which approximately 25% or 1 in 4 comes from here in the Coachella Valley.
Olive Crest, known for its dedication to preventing child abuse, to treating and educating at-risk children and to preserving the family . . .“One Life at a Time®,” will host its Fourth Annual Invitational Golf Tournament on Monday, February 26, 2024
at The Classic Club, located at 75-200 Classic Club Boulevard in Palm Desert, California. This event will raise much-needed funds to benefit local at-risk children and their families in Riverside County and Desert Communities.
USC National Football Champion and Olive Crest Trustee, Darnell Bing, will once again serve as Event Chair. He will be joined by other USC football legends who will lend their support to this worthwhile cause.
“I am so impressed with the positive difference that Olive Crest makes for disadvantaged and at-risk kids,” said Darnell Bing. “It was an easy decision to lead the golf tournament and work with my fellow USC teammates to fund critical programs for children in our community.”
Event registration will begin at 9:00 am for this highly-anticipated golf tournament, which will feature a Shotgun Scramble format, an Awards Reception, and Silent Auction, featuring unique sports memorabilia and exclusive travel packages. Golf Foursomes and Sponsorships start at $2,000. To register, go to www.olivecrest/ie/golf-tournament-2024
“The idea for this Olive Crest Golf Invitational was the brainchild of one of our Olive Crest Trustees, Darnell Bing,” stated Walter Mueller, Director of Development for Olive Crest. “Darnell envisioned this event as a way to not only raise funds for at-risk and disadvantaged youth, but also to bring visibility to the services and lifesaving programs Olive Crest offers. Darnell also wanted to reach out and include some of his former USC teammates in this event, as a way to introduce and educate them to the needs of youth within the foster care system. Having Darnell participate, as well as Chair this event, along with his fellow football legend teammates, makes this a very unique golfing experience and a win-win for all the at-risk children within our community,” Mueller continued.
THE DESERT SUN is the Presenting Newspaper & Digital Media Sponsor for this year’s Golf Invitational.
“Too many families are broken and isolated, leading to kids being abused, neglected, and alone,” said Tracy Fitzsimmons, Executive Director of Olive Crest Inland & Desert Communities. “The Child Welfare System was never intended to replace the family. Our team is focused on expanding prevention efforts – – going upstream to catch kids and families before they fall into the Child Welfare System. Our Child Abuse Stops Here® initiative recruits and equips families, friends, and champions to help provide a lifelong safety net to families in crisis with material, emotional, and spiritual support. Through this effort, we are working to prevent abuse and neglect prior to the serious escalation of adverse childhood experiences, strengthening families and generations to come.”
For additional information on this upcoming Olive Crest Invitational Golf Tournament, please contact Walter Mueller at 951–686–8500 ext. 4301 or at Walter-Mueller@olivecrest.org
For more information about Olive Crest, Ways to help, and services near you, please call or visit www.olivecrest.org
About Olive Crest
Since 1973, Olive Crest has transformed the lives of over 200,000 children and their families. We work tirelessly to meet the individual needs of kids in crisis by providing safe homes, counseling, and education for both youth and parents. Our many innovative programs reflect our conviction that strengthening the family is one of the most powerful ways to help heal children. Our 98% stability rate is a testament to the lifelong commitment and unwavering compassion that the Olive Crest family maintains to the children and families we serve, even after they have graduated from our programs.
On January 23, 2024, Olive Crest opened its new Children and Family Resource Center at 39830 Portola Avenue in Palm Desert. This was the culmination of a long-awaited and much- needed Olive Crest expansion within the Coachella Valley, where the organization’s highly successful and impactful programs for at-risk youth and their families will be available for the very first time in one location on this comprehensive campus.
The Olive Crest Children and Family Resource Center encompasses four distinct facilities – – the Community Involvement Center, funded by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Connie & Bob Lurie Counseling Center, the Dr. James and Lorraine Brinton Education and Training Center, and the Family Resource Center.
Olive Crest serves 5,000 children and families each day throughout the Westin United States. For general information, call 800–550–CHILD (2445) or visit www.olivecrest.org
For information on Olive Crest’s new Children and Family Resource Center please visit www.olivecrest.org/coachella-valley.
