Als Association Golf Tournament To Honor George The Bird Yardley

May 8, 2005 -- Before the multi-million dollar contracts, before the shoe deals, before the ubiquitous TV coverage, the NBA belonged to men like George Yardley - men who played simply for love of the game. But few played like George. "The Bird" was a standout, an NBA superstar before anyone thought to apply the term to these tall, thin men who made a living by putting a round ball through a hoop.

The ALS Association - Orange County Chapter will host its second annual "Drive Out ALS" golf tournament on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo honoring George Yardley, former Newport Beach resident and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame star, who died of ALS in 2004.

"This tournament is an important event for us," said Carol Burby, Executive Director. "In addition to raising awareness about ALS, we are pleased to honor George Yardley and his many contributions to the world of sports and the Orange County community."

The first player to score 2,000 points in a season Not Wilt, not Elgin, not even George Mikan. It was George Yardley during his sensational 1957-58 season. Yardley was born in Hollywood, and graduated from Newport Harbor High School in 1946. He attended Stanford where he broke the great Hank Luisetti's single season conference scoring record with 423 points in 1950. After college he served two years in the navy, and then joined an AAU team.

At age 25, he began his professional career with the Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons and most famously, the Syracuse Nationals. He played in six consecutive All-Star games during his seven-year NBA career, retiring at the top of his game to start a business and spend more time with his growing family. The George Yardley Co., founded in 1960 as a manufacturer's representative for engineering products, is still thriving today under the guidance of his kids.

The "Drive Out ALS" tournament was started in 2004 by a group of community volunteers brought together to help their friend, former Mission Viejo resident Doug Ousterman, and others like him, fight this disease. Ousterman was diagnosed with ALS in 2003 at age 40. This year The ALS Association - Orange County Chapter and the Yardley family have partnered to raise funds for patients battling ALS.

The tournament is sponsored by Mitsubishi Cement, the Cooper Companies, Lehigh Cement Company, Video Movie Magic, Angels Baseball, Coamerica Bank, Captial Group Companies, Geo Plastics, Irvine BMW, Jillio Court Reporters, Waste Management, Palmeri Tyler Wiener Wilhelm & Waldron LLP and Dodge, Warren & Peters. The families of William Bagnall Sr., Rubye Harmonson and David Stanley have also sponsored holes in their memory. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. The cost to enter the tournament is $1500 for a foursome and $400 for a single player. All proceeds from the tournament will fund vital patient and caregiver programs for Orange County ALS patients, as well as supporting research to find a cure.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neuromuscular disease that attacks nerve cells, slowly paralyzing the patient while the mind usually remains unaffected. ALS is a fatal disease and life expectancy is two to five years after diagnosis. Although many people think ALS is a rare disease, every 90 minutes another person is diagnosed, and every 90 minutes someone in the United States dies from this disease.

The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. The mission of the Orange County Chapter is to improve the quality of life for persons with ALS, while substantially contributing to the National ALS Association's research effort to find a cure.

For more information contact the Chapter office at 714-938-1080.

Als Association Golf Tournament To Honor George The Bird Yardley

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Als Association Golf Tournament To Honor George The Bird Yardley

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