This past weekend Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson held his third annual Celebrity Golf Tournament at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Gold Canyon, Arizona. Prior to Saturday’s golf tournament, a red carpet VIP Welcome Party was held on Friday evening at Octane Raceway in Scottsdale, Arizona where partygoers had a chance to go head-to-head in a go-kart race against the seven time Pro Bowl corner. It was a great way to kick off a weekend aimed at benefiting the Patrick Peterson Foundation for Success.
The Patrick Peterson Foundation for Success was founded in 2012 and aims to provide low-income and inner-city youth with opportunities and resources to reach their full potential. When Patrick arrived in Arizona after being selected fifth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, he noticed an opportunity in the form of education. The 48th state has consistently ranked near the bottom of the pack in education. One man may not be able to change that, but it hasn’t swayed Peterson’s motivation for trying. P2’s foundation has created programs such as Patrick’s Corner, a program that provides at-risk students easier access to books in addition to fun reading environments. The lockdown corner also teamed up with Scholastic and created Pick Out a Book, a book fair that brings schools and communities together to support children’s literacy. From his hometown in Florida to his current residence in Arizona, educational barriers have always been something that stood out as an opportunity for improvement to Patrick. On Friday night, he discussed his motivation. “I spend a majority of my time here. I live here year round and I just don’t want to be out here not giving a helping hand”, Peterson stated. “As the Patrick’s Corner and the Patrick Peterson Foundation gets bigger, these kids are gaining more and more confidence over the years. I talk about San Marcos because that’s one of the first schools we put Patrick’s Corner in and the reading levels have gone through the roof. Reading minutes have gone through the roof! It’s a proven fact that it’s definitely an inspiration so I want to continue helping our bright future stars and give them that confidence to help them prevail through anything that they may have.”
On Saturday, celebrities and guests headed to the links. Tournament attendees ranged from former NBA greats such as Cedric Ceballos and Bruce Bowen to former NFL greats such as Sterling Sharpe, Jay Feely, and Kwamie Lassiter. Native golfer, model, and television personality Blaire O’Neal also graced the fairways. Haley Joel Osment came to give back at both Friday and Saturday’s events. Patrick’s current teammate and living legend, Larry Fitzgerald, was in attendance, of course. While the recent Pebble Beach Pro-Am victor was there to pay it forward, make no mistake about it, he was also there to win. Even in a day of charity, the competitive DNA among some of the athletes was still very evident. “These football players take their golf so serious!” former San Antonio Spur Bruce Bowen joked while warming up at the range.
Before the carts rolled out on Saturday, P2 happily stopped to speak with the media one more time. “I just want to continue to let guys see how we get down here in Arizona. We’re definitely a brotherhood here and we love doing things together especially events like this”, said Peterson. “I am a great football player, I know that, but I want to be recognized as an even better person, a better human being”.
Well, even with all of your football accolades, you are doing just that, Mr. Peterson.
To find out more about how you can donate to Patrick Peterson’s Foundation for Success please visit http://www.patrickpeterson.org/index.aspx
