Images from the groundbreaking ceremony for Tracey's Place of Hope.
The 12th Annual Fred Biletnikoff Hall of Fame Invitational golf tournament is set for May 2 at the Ruby Hill Golf Club in Pleasanton, Calif.
According to the Biletnikoff Foundation, "This celebrity charity invitational raises needed funds for the Biletnikoff Foundation and its support for teens in crisis throughout California to overcome their struggles with substance abuse, human trafficking and domestic violence."
Hall of Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, who ranks as the Raiders second all-time leading receiver, and his wife Angela host the tournament each year. According to Fred Biletnikoff, the tournament is one of two major fundraisers for the Biletnikoff Foundation.
"The golf, and in November our crab feed, those are our two main fundraising events," Biletnikoff said. "This golf tournament is one of our main fundraising things to keep things going with the house. This golf tournament means the world to us."
Biletnikoff is grateful for the support he and his foundation get from his former teammates, NFL greats and celebrities.
"It means the world to our family, with Tracey's passing, the majority of these guys were the first ones to call to ask if we needed any help. When we started events they were the first ones to sign up and play, and they've continued to do so," Biletnikoff said. "It means the world to Angela and me, the support that these guys have given, and the Raiders have given us over the years with our foundation with Al and with Mark and Mrs. Davis and the whole Raider organization has just been fantastic."
According to Biletnikoff, much of the fundraising efforts with the tournament and the crab feed the past three years have gone to fund renovations to "Tracey's Place of Hope, a residence that provides substance abuse and domestic violence treatment to teenagers from across California through its residential program. The center prepares young people to manage their recovery, their mental and emotional health issues, as well as teaching them the necessary skills to live independently. Most teenagers come to Tracey's Place of Hope with little or no vision for their future, but flourish when given the opportunity and proper guidance."
"Saved all the money from those two events for the last three years because we wanted to make sure we had enough money when we started this project if something came up we had the funds there to help it," Biletnikoff said.
About Biletnikoff Foundation
Biletnikoff Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting youth, primarily from low to moderate income neighborhoods or backgrounds, who are "at risk," particularly to the realities of drug and alcohol addiction as well as domestic and gender violence. The mission of the Biletnikoff Foundation is to commemorate Tracey Biletnikoff's life and her untimely death and to enable young people to realize their full potential through the support of community and education programs that effectively address the related problems of substance abuse and gender violence. Founded in 2000, Tracey's Place of Hope is a residential program for adolescent girls in crisis with mental health and substance abuse problems. The facility houses girls, aged 14-18. For more information, please visit http://www.biletnikoff.org/.
