LOCAL VIPS DONATE TIME, EFFORT TO LEGENDS RENO-TAHOE OPEN’S “NOODLE THIS” CELEBRITY WAITER FUNDRAISER

LOCAL VIPS DONATE TIME, EFFORT TO LEGENDS RENO-TAHOE OPEN’S “NOODLE THIS” CELEBRITY WAITER FUNDRAISER

The PGA TOUR’s Legends at Sparks Marina Reno-Tahoe Open invites the Reno-Sparks community to rub elbows with local celebrities during the tournament’s inaugural “Noodle This” fundraiser event Thursday, April 9 at the Eldorado Hotel Casino.  Giving guests the opportunity to select a celebrity waiter or waitress from area VIPs including Senators William Raggio and Randolph Townsend, news anchor Shelby Sheehan, Sheriff Mike Haley and Reno and Sparks Mayors Cashell and Martini, attendees are served dinner by the important person of choice who, after the meals are served, joins the table as the ninth member of the party. Tables of eight are now available by calling 775-342-9483.

In addition to the opportunity to “noodle around” ideas with these community leaders, the evening also includes a dinner of the Eldorado’s famous Italian cuisine, accompanied by a selection of fine wines from the Carano family vineyard. Hosted cocktails begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Eldorado Convention Center with dinner following shortly thereafter.  Each celebrity waiter will compete to earn tips throughout the event, which are then donated to the Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation, the non-profit entity that operates the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.

“’Noodle This’ is a great opportunity to meet new people and talk with the leaders in our community in a relaxed and intimate setting, all while helping us raise money for those organizations that give back to our community each and every day,” said Michael Stearns, Legends Reno-Tahoe Open tournament director.  “By helping us create this fun, social event, attendees and celebrity servers are helping us achieve our mission of supporting non-profits in the community, and in turn, are helping them sustain the good they do all year long.”

Other “celebrity servers” include President of the University of Nevada, Reno Milton Glick, along with Director of Athletics Cary Groth, Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert and Assembly Speaker Barabara Buckley , RSCVA President and CEO Ellen Oppenheim, Ted Power, publisher of the Reno Gazette-Journal, Reno City Councilwoman Jessica Sferazza, Gregg, Cindy and Gary Carano, Sparks Police Commander Steve Asher and Washoe County Commission Chair Bob Larkin. Requests for “celebrity servers” are accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We’re very grateful to our celebrity waiters for taking time out of their schedules, particularly at a time when there are so many pressing issues to be dealt with, to help us raise money for these charitable organizations” added Stearns. “It’s truly a sign that we have great leaders in our community when they’re willing to help us help others.”

For more information on this year’s Legends at Sparks Marina Reno-Tahoe Open, including ticket sales, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.LegendsRenoTahoeOpen.com or contact the tournament office at 775-322-3900.

The 11^th annual Legends at Sparks Marina Reno-Tahoe Open, an official PGA TOUR event, takes place Aug. 3 – 9, 2009 at Montrêux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev.  As the PGA TOUR’s only summer West Coast venue, the tournament is a regular full-field stop on the TOUR schedule and is part of the FedExCup series, a points competition for PGA TOUR professionals.  The nationally-televised tournament brings in millions of dollars in coverage for the Reno-Tahoe region through its affiliation with The Golf Channel as it follows 132 PGA TOUR professionals competing for a share of the tournament’s $3 million purse.  The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open is operated and managed by the Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation comprised of its members including RED Development’s The Legends at Sparks Marina, Eldorado Hotel Casino, EMPLOYERS, Montrêux Development Group, NV Energy, and Reno-Tahoe, America’s Adventure Place.