SHOWCASE GOLF: The Show grows on again

COEUR d'ALENE — What do a wizard, two-time Super Bowl MVP and a Lakeland High School Hall of Fame inductee have in common?

The trio of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, Denver Broncos legend John Elway and former Lakeland High standout Tracy Hanson will make their debut at The Showcase golf exhibition on Saturday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course.

"It has kind of turned into one player that knows somebody else," said Community Cancer Fund Creative Marketing Director Myk Crawford, who has been the event photographer previously. "A lot of these people just want to be involved with the cause."

Other celebrities from the NFL, NBA and NHL include: Wayne Gretzky, Marcus Allen, Richard Dent, Andre Reed, Dustin Pedroia, Mark Mulder, Cody Ross and Shane Victorino.

Spokane native and former Coeur d'Alene Laker Tyler Johnson, now a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, also returns with Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper.

Last year's event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We didn't even get far enough down that road as far as having a celebrity roster," Crawford said.

Mulder is the tournament's defending champion. Ryan Longwell, a former NFL placekicker for the Green Bay Packers and briefly Seattle Seahawks, returns. Longwell is the only participant in all seven events.

"It's definitely coming back as strong as ever," Crawford said. "The amount of corporate sponsors we've been able to get on board has been great."

The Showcase has become one of the premier celebrity events on the West Coast, raising over $17 million since 2014 for the fight against cancer.

"Our most recent progress was the completion of the Hospitality Center at Kootenai Health," said Crawford. "During the pandemic this hospitality center has been a welcome addition for lodging patients and their families. We remain committed to investing donated funds in local programs that benefit cancer patients, their families, and the Inland Northwest organizations that serve them."

The Showcase has grown a great deal over a short time.

"In 2016, I took a group photo of all the different celebrities and there was eight people in it," Crawford said. "In 2017, we had 15 different celebrities playing. Where we are now, it's just been amazing."

General admission tickets are available for $20 by visiting: www.showcasegolf.com

While there is no parking at the golf course, complimentary shuttle buses are available at The Coeur d'Alene Resort or Lake City High. Shuttles will begin at 7:15 a.m. on Saturday and conclude an hour after the completion of the tournament.