/noticias.info/ ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. - After racing the No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine at Darlington Raceway, David Reutimann traveled to his hometown of Zephyrhills (Fla.) for a charity golf tournament at Silverado Golf and Country Club benefiting All Children’s Hospital. The event raised nearly $22,000 for the St. Petersburg hospital, which is a leading center for pediatric treatment, education and research.
“The hospital provides specialized care for children of all ages and it’s neat that we were able to be a part of something like this,” said Reutimann. “When I pulled into the golf course early Saturday morning, I was blown away because there were so many people present to support the event. They had 40 teams, which was about 160 people and that doesn’t even count the people that showed up for dinner. There were so many people that they had to turn some away. We raised $21,500 and could've been more than that. We did a quick count and that's the number we came up with.”
Reutimann is known for not taking credit when it is deserved. The third generation driver admits he had nothing to do with the event.
“Brantley Smith, Buddy Smith, Shawn Reutimann along with other family members and friends made it all possible,” said Reutimann. “They came up with the idea about a golf tournament and it was well received in the community. Through their efforts and long hours of hard work the event was a great success. I’m humbled that those guys did this. They took one of their busiest golf days and had the charity tournament instead. They were the ones that pulled it all together. I just showed up.”
Brantely Smith disagrees with Reutimann and credits the Florida native for the turnout.
“David is the draw,” said Smith, who owns the Silverado Golf and Country Club along with his wife Susan. “He’s the reason so many people supported the event. Without David, we couldn’t have done it. It’s the only major fundraiser we have during the year. We appreciate him taking time out of his busy schedule to sign autographs. Friday night he flew into town after competing in the NASCAR Busch Series race. He arrived around 2:30 a.m., but was at golf course early that morning. He stayed all day to sign autographs and take pictures with everyone on the golf course. That’s what makes it so special. All Children’s Hospital has helped my family and we were glad David was here to make this happen.”
Following the tournament, a silent and live auction took place and then the winners were announced.
“A couple guys from my NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team won it,” said Reutimann. “My cousin Shawn (Reutimann), who is my spotter and Jason Overstreet, who is my crew chief, came in first-place. MJ Williams and Greg Reutimann were on the team too. I was blown away that they won. There were several teams with impressive scores. In the end, they announced my guys winning. Actually, I demanded a recount. I joked around with them about it. It’s cool to say they won, but I’m sure those guys will agree that the real winner was All Children’s Hospital. I wish I could have brought my whole team. Next year, that’s one of my goals. There are also a few people that made it possible for me and my guys to fly to the golf tournament after the race. I never could have done it without them. I’m very grateful to everyone.”
