Every Thanksgiving morning, for the past 28 years, the Desert Trails Golf Course in El Centro has hosted the Jack Kirby Classic Turkey-Shoot.
It had its beginning as a casual competition between family and friends but by the next year, had evolved into a fundraiser for the athletic programs of both Central Union and Southwest high schools.
Jack Kirby, a local fixture and golf enthusiast, has fond memories of the tournament and of its creation in particular.
“Back in ’85,” he recalls, “we had people come down for Thanksgiving from all up and down the coast. We went out to the green, played a few rounds, and at the end of it, my sons told me, ‘Dad, we ought to do this every year.’ The next time, we raised some money for junior golf but after they dissolved, we decided to give the proceeds to the high school.”
Initially, the best golfers of the day had been awarded turkeys but a change was recently made so that top-shots will be given gift certificates to Lucky’s grocery store.
Why the revision?
“We figured the players get enough turkey the day of,” said Kirby.
Master of Ceremonies this year will be former professional football player Pete Holohan, a friend to Paul Kirby, Jack’s son and co-coordinator of the event.
A Notre Dame tight end, he was selected in the seventh round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, with whom he would play from 1981-1987.
Holohan was also a Los Angeles Ram from 1988-1990, a Kansas City Chief in 1991, and retired as a Cleveland Brown in 1992.
Since its inception, the Kirby Classic has raised over $35,000, something Kirby looks back on with pride.
This will also be the last year in which he actively participates, though he will continue to lend his name and support to the occasion in coming years. “Every year,” he says, “has been better than the last.”
Tee-off is at 8 a.m. Nov. 22 at Broken Spoke, located at 225 Wake Ave. in El Centro. The entrance fee is $8, plus green fees. Those who wish to take part are advised to register for the nine-hole event as soon as possible, as spots tend to go fast. Call 760-353-4653 for information.
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