| We've got some real swingers in daytime, and I'm ready to start naming names, starting with Michael O'Leary, Robert Newman, Mark Dobies, George Alvarez and Anthony Addabbo. Add John Callahan (Edmund, AMC), Marj Dusay, and, oh, that Kimberlin Brown! And there's Kim Zimmer, the superswinger of them all. This bunch just converged at the Ronald McDonald Celebrity Golf Classic in Greenville, N.C., where corporate-types ante up thousands to tee with celebrities. The proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald Houses of Eastern North Carolina, which gives parents of hospitalized children a place to sleep and eat when they're not at their child's bedside. "It's an extremely worthwhile cause," says Kim, who's attended the event for 16 years. Previously it was known as the Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Classic, but this year Jordan had to bow out because of other commitments. "They were a little nervous about losing him and having another person try to fill his shoes, but they handled it beautifully," says Kim, who wears a size 7 golf shoe as opposed to Jordan's 13s, and was billed as honorary chair. Though she didn't get her name above the title, she did get superstar treatment. One of the sponsors flew her and her husband, director A.C. Weary, and Robert down to the event in a 10-seat jet. Mark hitched a ride on the flight home. "Mark is not the best flyer in the world," says Kim. "He was green the whole way, even though he numbed himself with a huge glass of whiskey before we took off." Kim, who's a fearless flyer, sat up in the cockpit and even took the controls for a short while. That, she admits, was "scary". Another challenge for her was participating in the 5K race on Saturday afternoon. "It was my first 5K. The first two minutes I held pace with Robert, and then he said, 'I've gotta go', and he took off. I finished 161st out of 165, but, you know what, I did it! I saw Kimberlin afterward, and she hadn't broken a sweat, because she'd done the mile walk." Kimberlin, however, distinguished herself on the golf course, where, according to Kim, she routinely slams 250-yard drives. Saturday night, Kim hosted the dinner party and auctioned off a visit to GL, including airfare and dinner with Kim and A.C., for $3,700. Some special items in the silent auction were paintings done the day before by celebrities paired with children whose parents had been guests at a Ronald McDonald House. Michael says that, for him, the painting party was the best part of the weekend. One of his partners was a 5-year-old boy who had a brain tumor. "We sat there for about 45 minutes doing this abstract painting; he was so meticulous, and at one point he looked up at me with these big blue eyes and said, 'Am I going too fast for you?' But I just felt like we were totally in sync with each other, like we were doing this dance. It was a very special experience." Michael, a 15-year veteran of the event, says having a 6- and 3-year-old of his own makes interacting with these children even more profound. "You do it with a lump in your throat. Four of the five kids I was with were paralyzed by car accidents. You look at these parents' faces and think, 'There but for the grace of God, go I." On late nights, the celebs would unwind in the Hilton hospitality suite --- everyone except Anthony and George. "Tony and George were hitting all of the nightspots in downtown Greenville," Kim reports. "I saw George at the farewell party, and he was exhausted --- exhausted." They weren't the only casualities of overexhaustion. Marj's back went out both days on the ninth hole. "I had to have a physical therapist come over at 7:30 Sunday morning to get my back out of spasms so I could go out and hit golf balls again. I am a glutton for punishment. I came back home and collapsed." She did revive briefly on the return flight when the attendant brought her a drink and a note from someone special who was seated rows ahead. "The note said he'd spotted me going into the restroom and he wanted to have a rendezvous. I was all aflutter. I looked up and there was a handsome man sitting right in front of Michael O'Leary. I was going to send a note up to Michael and tell him to check the man out." Turns out, however, the note was sent by Michael himself, who really isn't that kind of swinger, merely a practical joker. Luckily, Marj has a great sense of humor. Kim says all celebrities who participated this year were really great sports. Call 1-900-CALL-RMHC for information on contributing to Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide. |