Benefit For SI Writer Paul Zimmerman Raises More Than $150,000

Benefit Raises More Than $150,000 For Zimmerman

Around 250 people attended Monday night's benefit for SI writer PAUL ZIMMERMAN at Mayfair Farms in West Orange, New Jersey, and "more than $150,000 was raised for aggressive rehab" for Zimmerman, who has suffered three strokes within the last year, according to Peter King of SI.com. The attendees included "coaches, friends, family, fans, media, students, TV execs, oenophiles and auction bidders from around the world," as well as Zimmerman himself. Noted attendees included SI Group Editor TERRY MCDONELL and SI.com Senior Producer DOM BONVISSUTO. Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK's "presence was felt," as was former 49ers Owner EDDIE DEBARTOLO, JR.'s and former SI Managing Editor MARK MULVOY's. Former NFL coach DICK VERMEIL donated some of his wines, raising $13,000, and WFAN-AM host MIKE FRANCESA drew a total of $6,900 for his donation of Mets and Yankees tickets, as well as a trip to his show in Queens (SI.com, 5/19).

ANOTHER GOOD CAUSE: In Dallas, Bill Nichols reports golfer RICH BEEM "has pledged $100 for every birdie he makes" at this week's PGA Tour HP Byron Nelson Championship and next week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to the family of Cowboys scouting assistant RICH BEHM, who was paralyzed from the waist down in the collapse of the Cowboys' practice facility. Fans "can donate, too, with pledges on Beem or any other player," as part of the "Beem Fore Behm" charity. Callaway Golf also "stepped up by offering a set of clubs to the donors who come the closest to guessing the number of birdies." Beem's tour bag, signed by other players, also will be "auctioned at the Cowboys tent at the TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas" during the Byron Nelson event. Pledges can be made at PGATour.com (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/20). Meanwhile, Cowboys special teams coach JOE DECAMILLIS, who suffered fractured vertebrae in his neck from the facility collapse, yesterday attended the team's first full-team workout of '09 to "bark instructions" at players (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/20).