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Sharpe & Valentine Late Additions to BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs Tournament Celebrity Field

GREENVILLE, S.C. (May 10, 2007) – Former University of South Carolina Gamecock and NFL wide receiver Sterling Sharpe and actor Gary Valentine will participate as celebrities in next week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs golf tournament it was announced today.

Sharpe and Valentine join a stellar list of celebrities participating in this year’s tournament including: Kevin Costner, George Lopez, David James Elliott, Greg Kinnear, Joanna Krupa, Catherine Bell, John Elway, Wayne and Janet Gretzky, Jim Rice, Kevin Sorbo, Cheech Marin, Josh Kelley, Javier Colon, Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Edwin McCain, Brett Hull, George Rogers, Tom Dreesen, David Mobley, Ben Wright and Jennifer Mills. Gary Player is the featured golfer.

As a wide receiver at the University of South Carolina, Sharpe set school records with 169 career receptions and 2,497 receiving yards and a since-broken record of 17 career touchdowns. He also set the school record for single-season receiving touchdowns with 11, which was broken in 2005 by Sidney Rice. A first-round draft pick of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in 1988, Sharpe was a five-time All-Pro (1989, ‘90, ‘92, ‘93, and ‘94). In 1992 Sharpe hauled in 107 receptions which broke the NFL's single-season receptions record. The following year, Sharpe broke his own record, with 112 receptions, making him the first player to have consecutive seasons catching more than 100 passes. Sharpe is currently an NFL analyst with NBC.

Valentine is an actor/comedian who plays cousin Danny on the hit television series, The King of Queens. Valentine made his name as a stand up comedian, performing in comedy festivals nationwide. He moved to Los Angeles, where he still resides, and went on to have his own half hour comedy special on Comedy Central and co-hosted The X Show on FX. In 2001, he was recruited to play Danny Heffernan, cousin of main character Doug Heffernan on The King of Queens. He is in his ninth season as a regular member of the show and as co-written several episodes.

The 2007 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs golf tournament will be played May 17-20, 2007, at The Cliffs Valley, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove and The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards golf courses. All four rounds will be televised live by the Golf Channel.

The BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs is the only tournament on the Nationwide Tour where amateurs and celebrities are grouped with Nationwide Tour professionals in a three-day better-ball competition. Amateurs, celebrities and pros will rotate between each of the three courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the 14 lowest scoring pro-amateur/pro-celebrity teams advancing to play Sunday’s final round. Celebrities will play once at each course on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Along with a brand new BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle, the professional winner of the overall 72-hole event will take home $117,000 from the total purse of $650,000, which is one of the largest purses on the Nationwide Tour. Amateurs and celebrities will compete for individual prizes and cash donations to the charity of their choice out of the beneficiaries selected by South Carolina Charities, Inc.

The first six tournaments have raised more than $3.7 million for 80+ area charities.

General Admission tickets for the 2007 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs can be purchased for $25 through one of the 20 selected charities or by calling (864) 297-1660. Tickets can also be purchased in Upstate S.C. and Western N.C. area Arby’s restaurants. Children 14 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Corporate sponsorships and ticket packages that include VIP and Clubhouse tickets can also be purchased by calling (864) 297-1660.

For more information on the BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs golf tournament, sponsorship opportunities, charitable funding or volunteer opportunities, call (864) 297-1660 or visit the tournament’s Web site.