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Mike Montgomery Golf Classic benefits JobTrain

by Colin Becht

The 16th annual Mike Montgomery Golf Classic will be held Monday, July 14, at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club.

Named for the longtime Stanford men's basketball coach, the event benefits the Menlo Park-based nonprofit, JobTrain, which helps unemployed and low-income people learn skills and find jobs.

"A lot of people have had tough times and need help finding their way," and JobTrain does that, says Montgomery, a Menlo Park resident who recently was named head men's basketball coach for the University of California at Berkeley.

Montgomery, who will play in the Golf Classic, will also speak at a dinner following the golfing event. "We'll just try to bring everybody up to speed on the Bay Area basketball scene, and now it's going to be Cal basketball," he said.

About 160 people have signed up to play in the Golf Classic, which has a shotgun start of 12:30 p.m., while 200 are expected to attend a dinner and reception after the event, plus a live and silent auction, said Kate Bryan, a development specialist at JobTrain.

"The best part is that JobTrain student volunteers are sort of everywhere throughout the day, helping the staff put on a great event, but also interacting with the players and getting to meet and see local business leaders at their best," she said, "It serves as sort of an inspiration for our students."

JobTrain helps people launch new careers and "put the pieces together when their lives go off track," says the JobTrain Web site. "We help teenagers land a first job, laid-off workers start over, and older workers return to work with new skills."

The cost to play in the Golf Classic is $1,000 per person. Golf sponsorships, playing spots and dinner tickets can be purchased by contacting Holly Hanson at 330-6419 of via e-mail at hhanson@JobTrainworks.org.