Paradise Island, Bahamas
Presents the Seventh Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational,
January 16-20, 2008 at One&Only Ocean Club
(Paradise
Island, The Bahamas) - Top celebrities from the worlds of sports
and entertainment will come together once again for four days of
competitive golf and exclusive events at the seventh annual Michael
Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) at the Ocean Club Golf Course,
located on and hosted by Paradise Island in The Bahamas. The event
kicks off on Wednesday, January 16th and will benefit
several worthy causes, including the James R. Jordan Foundation, the
Butch Kerzner Memorial Fund and Ronald McDonald Houses of North
Carolina, as well as the charities of choice of the tournament's top
competitors.
Since the
MJCI began in 2000, over $3.7 million has been raised for charity
and it has become one of celebrity golf's most popular events.
Paradise Island Tourism Development Association (PITDA) has signed
on as this year's Presenting Sponsor. Other major sponsors include
Jordan Brand/Nike.
Participants in this year's tournament include sports stars
Brandi Chastain, Julius Erving, Derek Jeter, Mario Lemieux,
John Smoltz, Mike Piazza and John McEnroe as well as
entertainment personalities Dave Annable, Angie Everhart,
Stephen Baldwin, Don Cheadle, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Stone Phillips
among others.
"The
Paradise Island Tourism Development Association and its member
properties on Paradise Island are thrilled to be the presenting
sponsor of this prestigious event and are honored to be supporting
such charitable causes," said William Naughton, Chairman, Paradise
Island Tourism Development Association.
"All year
long, I look forward to hosting my friends at the Ocean Club Golf
Course," said Michael Jordan. "There's no place I'd rather be in
January than in the Bahamas, on Paradise Island, raising money for
some very worthy causes."
The
four-day event takes place on the Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole
Ocean Club Golf Course. Unveiled in December 2000, the Ocean Club
Golf Course is set on the eastern end of the island and offers
panoramic views of the lush course and waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The 7,159-yard scenic par-72 course takes advantage of the
magnificent Bahamian landscape and island cross winds, challenging
golfers' precision and accuracy.
The
tournament is comprised of the two-day MJCI Celebrity-Amateur
Competition Presented by ICON International, which pairs one
celebrity with three amateur participants drawn from event sponsors
and representatives of the Bahamian corporate and local
communities. The last two days of the event feature 36 holes of
Celebrity-Only play, with celebrity teams competing against one
another in a two-person scramble format.
Tournament
guests will be treated to a host of festive parties and activities
at One&Only Ocean Club's sister property, Atlantis, Paradise Island
resort, during the four days of competition. With entertainment from
Nick Cannon, Ashanti, The Pussycat Dolls, The O'Jays and DJ AM.
Evening activities will include the MJCI Welcome Reception presented
by Jordan Brand and MJCI After Dark at Aura, the new 7,000 square
foot nightclub recently unveiled in Atlantis.
An NBA
legend, Jordan virtually rewrote the NBA record book. He played 13
seasons for the Chicago Bulls and two seasons for the Washington
Wizards, leading the league in scoring a record 10 times. His 30.1
points per game average is the highest in NBA history, and, with
32,292 points, he ranks third on the all-time scoring list. Jordan
led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championship titles and was named
NBA Finals MVP during each of those series. A five-time regular
season MVP, in 1991 and 1992 he became the only player to win
back-to-back regular season and Finals MVP awards. In June 2006,
Jordan joined the ownership group of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats,
becoming the team's Managing Member of Basketball Operations.
