CHARLESTON, SC (Oct. 1, 2012) – Denny Hamlin and Mark Bryan are combining the worlds of racing and music to team up for the inaugural Denny & Mark’s Pro-Am Jam hosted by the Student Transportation of America Education Foundation taking place October 29th and 30th on Daniel Island. The two-day event will be composed of a celebrity Jam concert presented by SunTrust on Monday, October 29th on the lawn at the Family Circle Tennis Center followed by a fun day of golf with the Celebrity Pro-Am at the Daniel Island Club’s Beresford Creek Course on Tuesday, October 30th.

General admission tickets for the Jam concert presented by SunTrust are currently on sale. The ticket price is $25 and can be ordered via all Ticketmaster locations or by calling the Family Circle Tennis Center box office at 800.677.2293. The Celebrity Pro-Am golf event is closed to the public but there are sponsorship opportunities still available for interested parties.

The current group of celebrities scheduled to participate in the two-day event is comprised of some of the greats in the worlds of golf, music, racing, entertainment and sports. Co-host of the event, Denny Hamlin, will represent the world of NASCAR along with racing legends Dale Jarrett, Darrell and Michael Waltrip and many others.

Scheduled to join co-host Mark Bryan from the music industry are fellow band members from Hootie & the Blowfish along with singer/songwriter Steve Azar, country legend Johnny Lee, Collective Soul’s Ed Roland, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills and 14-time Grammy winner, Dan Tyminski.

Among the sports legends scheduled to attend are Major League Baseball sensation Johnny Damon, Hall of Fame and Super Bowl Champion NFL Coach and NASCAR Championship Team Owner Joe Gibbs, NBA legend Rick Barry, NHL Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr, Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl champion George Rogers and former NFL standout and actor Ed Marinaro. Local favorite PGA professional Tommy Gainey and South Carolina’s own PGA professionals Kyle Thompson and Tommy Biershenk are expected to attend to represent the world of professional golf.

Celebrities will continue to be added and announced up until the date of the event and we anticipate several surprise guests to add to the already impressive list of participants.

Bryan, Hamlin and the Student Transportation of America Education Foundation (STAEF), the philanthropic arm of Student Transportation, Inc., North America’s third largest school bus transportation company, formed a partnership and combined resources to host the event and raise valuable funds for their corresponding foundations. This year’s event is designed to build upon the success of the 2011 Celebrity Pro-Am Jam, which was part of the Nationwide Tour Championship on Daniel Island in October 2011 and hosted by Mark Bryan’s Carolina Studios and STAEF. The 2011 Celebrity Pro-Am Jam featured appearances by Colt Ford, Edwin McCain, Branford Marsalis, Pat Green and members of Hootie & the Blowfish.

All proceeds from this year’s two-day event will go to the charitable organizations represented by hosts Denny Hamlin, Mark Bryan and STAEF, which have a common mission in creating better opportunities for children.

The Student Transportation of America Education Foundation focuses on advancing the educational opportunities available to deserving high school seniors enrolled in the school districts it serves. Denis Gallagher, Chairman and CEO of Student Transportation Inc., states, “Our STA Education Foundation is all about helping kids in education. Denny Hamlin and Mark Bryan join in that dedication and support of children with their sponsored Foundations. It’s a thrill to combine our collective efforts to make a difference in so many lives.”

The Denny Hamlin Foundation is committed to raising awareness and funds for the specific needs of children with cystic fibrosis. Therefore, the Denny Hamlin Foundation is earmarking its share of charitable proceeds to the MUSC Children’s Hospital for Cystic Fibrosis research.

“It’s exciting to see the line-up we’ll have on the stage and on the golf course,” said Hamlin, who is coming off another top ten finish and recent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory and is currently a leading contender for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. “The support has been unbelievable and we hope to make this a special annual event that helps children in several different ways.”

Mark Bryan and his Carolina Studios Foundation provide students a safe environment that fosters creative, educational, and career-focused initiatives through music technology and media arts. Bryan adds, “When I think of how many kids will benefit from this event, and how much fun it will be raising the money alongside Denny Hamlin and Denis Gallagher, I can’t think of a better scenario.”

The Denny Hamlin Foundation, Carolina Studios Foundation and STAEF are grateful for the support of the following sponsors: Toyota, FedEx, Piggly Wiggly, Navistar/IC Bus and Thomas Bus.
To purchase tickets to the Celebrity Jam concert presented by SunTrust please call the Family Circle Tennis Center box office at 800.677.2293. For corporate team sponsorship information for the Celebrity Pro-Am golf event please contact Alexa Devine Harnig at 843.343.7451 or [email protected]. For updates on the event please visit www.facebook.com/TheProAmJam.

CONTACT:
Alexa Devine Harnig
Empire Sports Management
843.343.7451
[email protected]

FOR MEDIA INQUIRES:
Doug Coupe
BOLD Communications Group
843.856.2240
[email protected]