Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
April 30, 2008

Veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson tops the visiting celebrity line-up for the 14^th annual Chartwells CenturyTel Texas State University-San Marcos Celebrity Classic, set for May 3 – 5, 2008 in San Marcos and at Onion Creek.

Travel arrangements have been made for Jackson, one of the hardest working and highest grossing actors in Hollywood. Some three dozen celebrities have flights booked for the annual graduate scholarship fundraiser.  Scheduled back in town for the three-day event are old friends Burton “Bubba” Gilliam, Jonathan Banks, Earl Billings, David Magee and Distinguished Alumnus Eugene Lee. 

Rounding out the celebrity list expected are Marshall and Jamie Allman, Dan Boever, Keith Cash, Michael Crabtree, Mary Deese, Richard Dillard, Leslie Easterbrook, Erik Flowers, Charlie Frazier, Richard Gant, Jerry Giles, Austin “Goose” Gonsoulin, Jimmy Hampton, David Marciano, James McDaniel, Sam McMurray, Lucas Prata, David Sawyer, Alan Stepp, Leonard Thomas, Glynn Turman, Basil Wallace, Will Wallace, Patrick Warburton, Dan Wilcox, Ellis “Skeeter” Williams and Alfre Woodard..

Jackson, Woodard and the Golf Channel’s Boever will be making their second trips to the classic.  Boever will present a special golf show at 10 a.m. Monday at Onion Creek.  

Guests will arrive in San Marcos Friday and Saturday for the Classic’s opening event, a gala dinner and auction Saturday evening in the LBJ Student Center.  Co-name sponsor, Chartwells, the university’s contracted food service and the evening’s presenting sponsor, is building the event around a “Le Neuveau Cirque” theme.

The best opportunity for celebrity watchers and the general public to see the famous visitors will be Sunday morning at Quail Creek Country Club and the Texas State University Tennis Courts where the Classic’s golf scramble and tennis tournament will be held beginning at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. respectively Sunday.  The public can go to Quail Creek and the Texas State Tennis Courts to watch golf and tennis, meet celebrities and collect autographs.

On Sunday evening, top level sponsors and celebrities will be entertained at a reception at  George’s in the LBJ Student Center, Sponsored by  H-E-B.

On Monday, May 5, it’s off to the Onion Creek Club for the classic’s major attraction for many participants – the annual Celebrity Golf Classic, presented by Priority Personnel.  James and Terri Isbell of Fort Worth will be striving to repeat their team’s 2007 win. 

According to Texas State Graduate Dean Mike Willoughby, who chairs the event’s executive committee, last year’s Classic raised more than $100,000 for Graduate College scholarships.  Thanks to participating sponsors, this is the university’s largest scholarship fundraiser, Willoughby says, noting that more than $700,000 has been raised and 39 graduate students presented scholarships since as a result of the Classic’s success.

Major sponsors include Brown Distributing Company, CenterPoint Energy, FedEx Kinko’s, First Transit, Hampton Inn & Suites, IKON Office Solutions, International Power- Hays, The Legends Group, Chuck Nash Auto Group, NIKE Factory Store, Onion Creek Club, Rocking JT Ranch ( James and Terri Isbell) and Subway of San Marcos.  Other sponsors included Coca-Cola, Frost Bank, K-W Construction, McPherson Cellars, Maui Tacos, Ki and Wendy Norman, Staples and Wells Fargo Bank.

For more information on the Classic, call (512) 245-2396 or visit the Classic webpage at http://www.txstate.edu/classic/.