Patriot Fund to benefit from Tahoe event

In line with the nation's charitable mood, the Fallen Patriot Fund has again stepped up to the plate, or rather the golf tee, with a pledge to raise more money this year at one of Lake Tahoe's largest sporting events.

NBA Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told the media in a press conference Monday that during the 15th annual American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course he plans to raise $750,000. The goal of the event, slated for July 14-18, would raise $100,000 more than last year's effort. Donations were raised through auctions and autographs of major celebrities at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

For this year, the lineup reads like a who's who list of entertainment and sports stars - from football players Marcus Allen and John Elway to actors John O'Hurley and Don Cheadle.

The money, which Cuban equally matches in donations, is earmarked to benefit U.S. military families of killed and seriously injured soldiers.

Camp Pendleton Marine staff Sgt. Mark Graunke, who worked in the capacity of a civilian bomb squad, was severely injured last July when he picked up ordnance in a field. He lost his left eye, hearing, right hand, right leg from the knee down and left thumb and index finger.

Still, Graunke, 26, said he's proud to have served his country.

Even though life poses many challenges, Graunke has taken solace in help from strangers and loved ones.

"My wife has been extremely strong; she's been by my side the whole time," the sergeant said of his wife, Florence, who goes by "Len."

The couple, with their black Labrador, moved into a new home before he received grant money from the Fallen Patriot Fund, which has helped pay the bills.

"They have a responsibility at home their corps may not have the ability to touch. That's where we fill in. When soldiers like Mark Graunke go home, they can start to rebuild their life instead of worrying about how to make their mortgage payment," Cuban said, calling the fundraising effort "the right thing to do."

Cuban told the Tahoe Daily Tribune that he's proud of how the effort "has grown as big as it has."

He even tugged on the purse strings of investor Donald Trump with a proposal for the high-profile participant to bid on his services as one way to raise money for the cause.

"I may not get a job on 'The Apprentice' but maybe I'll get a job as his personal caddie," he joked.

Last year marked an ideal time for fundraising efforts in the United States. Charitable giving rose by the highest rate in three years, according to a national survey. The Associated Press reported that Giving USA annual report said donations by individuals, estates, foundations and corporations totaled $240.7 billion in 2003. That's a 2.8 percent increase over 2002.

- Susan Wood can be reached at (530) 542-8009 or via e-mail at swood@tahoedailytribune.com