(Dallas– Nov. 11th, 2007) Tom Joyner, the nationally syndicated radio personality, hosted a celebrity golf tournament and party in Dallas, TX to pay tribute to his late father and to celebrate his wife’s birthday.
Joyner’s dad, Hercules L. Joyner, passed away two weeks ago, and his wife, Donna “Donnamite” Richardson Joyner, a renowned fitness guru and star of “Buns of Steel”, celebrated her 45th birthday.
The ‘Donnamite Golf Tournament’, which took place at the Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas, featured such celebrities as Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of The O’Jays; Rocket Ismail, former Dallas Cowboys star; Dominique Dawes, Olympic Gold medalist and Renee Powell, one of only three African-American women to ever play in the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour.
“My dad loved golf and played for nearly 50 years and now my wife, Donna, has taken up the sport with a passion” said Joyner, whose radio show airs in 120 markets and reaches nearly eight million listeners every week. “So, this tournament is just one way to honor my Dad and my wife. It will raise funds to help keep kids in school.” Founded in 1998, the Tom Joyner Foundation has raised more than $55 million to help keep students enrolled in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Joyner’s dad, Hercules, was an avid golfer during his years in Tuskegee, AL. In later years, when he moved to Dallas, he introduced the history of golf and training tips to his Richardson Joyner. “I was so elated, right before my birthday, Pops [Hercules’ nickname] gave me the putter he played with back in the day. It has since become my lucky charm,” Richardson Joyner said.
Richardson Joyner said her goal is to grow the annual golf tournament into a major celebrity-pro am event to raise funds for the Tom Joyner Foundation. She also will continue to play in celebrity golf tournaments and introduce the game of golf to women of color, especially, African American women.
Richardson Joyner’s love of golf has caught the attention of her husband, Tom. Last year, he gave his wife a set of golf clubs, a pink golf bag and a personalized pink golf cart. This year, Joyner organized her golf tournament and gave her a golf simulator and a VIP pass to NASCAR at the Texas Motor Speedway.
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