Mark your calendars! On Monday, August 29th, the Larry A. Pogofsky All-Star Challenge returns to the Bryn Mawr Country Club, in Lincolnwood, Illinois. Last year, the LAP All-Star Challenge, traditionally a charity softball game, transitioned to a golf tournament format, and the event was such a hit, Co-Chairs Benjy Pogofsky and Jonathan Merel decided to do it again.
Benjy Pogofsky explains, “Last year was so incredible and successful that I just hope we continue to build on our incredible success: make one more kid smile, raise one more dollar or reach the heart of one more donor—which in turn will help one more life.”
The All-Star Challenge honors Larry Pogofsky, a die-hard baseball fan who was passionate about healthcare research thanks to a life-changing experience at the renowned University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center. His family created the event to share Larry’s love for sports and continue his legacy of funding important medical research.
On working with the GI Research Foundation, Benjy explains, “GIRF embodies things that mean so much to me and many others. It’s the idea of sacrifice, helping others and making the world a better place. The diseases we help fund research for are diseases that can affect anyone, anywhere. My father, who this event was started for, taught me, ‘in life, be honorable and passionate in all that you do and all you commit to doing.’ I have committed to giving back to many causes, but especially to GIRF.”
The event will feature a scramble tournament, celebrity and pro-athlete pairings, priceless sports memorabilia up for auction, a post-tournament cocktail reception, and for select attendees, a VIP dinner with the athletes. If you’d like to receive updates on the All-Star Challenge, you can sign up here: https://giresearchfoundation.org/events/all-star-challenge/