Golfer ERNIE ELS yesterday opened the Els Center of Excellence, a 26-acre campus for autistic children which he and his wife, LIEZL, "have been funding and building for eight years." Els invested $6M "of his own money and raised far more" for the $30M center, which had its groundbreaking last year. As the center opened, 115 kids "arrived at the campus." Although only children from Palm Beach County "can attend now, the goal is to serve the global population by allowing researchers to watch classes virtually." Some international families "will be invited to visit, and one group from Brazil has already seen the center" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/17). The school "has 20 classrooms" for students between the ages of 3 and 14. Enrollment "is free and open to all children" in the county. The school "is being built with private money raised through the Els for Autism Foundation" (PALM BEACH POST, 8/18).
SHINING ON THE DIAMOND: Charleston Southern Univ. baseball player CHRIS SINGLETON, whose mother "was among the nine parishioners who lost their lives" in the Charleston church shooting in June, was honored yesterday "during the first day of the Yankees' HOPE Week." Chris, his 15-year-old sister CAMRYN and his 12-year-old brother CALEB "all threw out first pitches before the Yankees' game against the Twins" (NEWSDAY, 8/18)....HAILEY DAWSON, a 5-year-old "born with a rare congenital disease called Poland syndrome," yesterday used an "Orioles-themed robotic hand" to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to her favorite player, Orioles 3B MANNY MACHADO (MLB.com, 8/17)....CHRISTOPHER DUFFLEY, a 14-year-old who is blind and autistic, "delivered a moving performance of the national anthem on Autism Speaks Night" at Fenway Park for yesterday's Indians-Red Sox game (MLB.com, 8/17).
THE GOOD STUFF: Michigan Int'l Speedway President ROGER CURTIS holds "one marriage every race weekend, and it raises money for MIS Cares, the official charity of the track." NASCAR fans KAREN and DAVE HASTINGS "renewed their wedding vows on their 50th anniversary, with Curtis presiding." The couple has "attended races at MIS for 20 years" (DETROITNEWS.com, 8/17)....After years of "collecting sometimes high-priced gym shoes," Lions LB DEANDRE LEVY is auctioning off 14 different pairs "to help two local charities" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/17)....Wizards G JOHN WALL on Saturday helped nearly 300 elementary and middle school students "wiggle into their new backpacks full of supplies during his foundation's 'Back 2 School' event at the FBR Branch of the Boys & Girls Club" in DC (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/15)....DoSomething.org has named La Liga club Real Madrid MF CRISTIANO RONALDO the world's "most charitable sports star, having donated millions of pounds of his fortune to worthy causes." Ronaldo now tops the "Athletes Gone Good list of 20 stars," with pro wrestler JOHN CENA second and tennis player SERENA WILLIAMS third (London TELEGRAPH, 8/18).
