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Two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North and his wife, Sue, will once again host the Andy North and Friends annual golf tournament at Trappers Turn Saturday and Sunday in the Wisconsin Dells. The two-day event will consist of a cocktail hour followed by a silent auction (you can access this online to live bid) on Sunday night, while Monday is a full day of golf.
While the golf will be the main pull of the weekend, it also has a much greater benefit -- raising money and awareness for the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.
"There's many different ways folks can get involved with the Cancer Center," North told the Big 1070's Mike Heller Show on Thursday. "So often you forget that a little bit can make just a huge difference in so many people's lives. We're into trying to change lives and save lives."
The Norths' charity endeavors should be no surprise to the UW community. For starters, they donated a large sum of money for an entirely new hardwood floor in 2008, which was estimated at $100,000. Andy was also an honoree of the Vince Lombardi Award of Excellence in 2013 for his dedication and work toward cancer research. All together, Andy and his wife are frequently seen at home and away Badger basketball games.
"I was so proud of these guys," North said on Bo Ryan's squad Final Four trip that ended with a 74-73 loss to Kentucky. "First of all, it's pretty easy to look at [the UW] program and see [they] are doing it the right way. Coach Ryan does it only one way -- and that's bringing in good kids who are expected to go to school, or expected to do things the right way, and it shows on the court."
With North being an employee of ESPN and an avid supporter of Wisconsin athletics, he was able to pull some big names to make appearances. The notables include Terry Gannon, Annika Sorenstam, Jessie Vetter, Pat Richter, Paul Azinger, Bo Ryan, Steve Stricker, Toni Kukoc, Greg Stiemsma, Joe Krabbenhoft, Al Toon, Michael Finley, Jon Leuer, Jordan Taylor and John Anderson, among others.
"The support from the community has been fantastic, and we're really making a difference," North said.