'Ice Bowl' of disc golf hits Pine Hills this weekend

On the eve of Super Bowl XLVII, the biggest game of the NFL season, Ottawa's Dana Vicich has borrowed the nickname of one of that sport's most famous games for a fundraiser played in his game ? disc golf ? though the similarities may not end with just that moniker.

Vicich, a nationally-ranked performer in the up-and-coming sport of disc golf, has for the second straight year organized "The Ice Bowl," a disc golf tournament held at the Pine Hills Golf Course this Saturday and benefiting the Ottawa Community Food Basket.

Named after the famed 1967 NFL championship game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys where temperatures reached 15-below zero, this year's event will also experience a big weather-related challenge. After a few days of light snow and frigid temperatures, the course that day is expected to see temps around 28 degrees and more flurries, making the competition even more interesting to competitors and fans alike.

"I think it's great that it might actually be the challenge of a true 'Ice Bowl' out there that day," laughed Vicich, a star in the Professional Disc Golf Association. "A couple of years ago when we had the big snowstorm, Joliet had one a day or two later and still had 80-90 people come out, so ours will be played. ? We'd hope to get around that many people this year, if road conditions allow for the people coming from Bloomington, Joliet and the Quad Cities.

"Disc golfers are a tough bunch, not like the ball golfers who hide all winter," he joked. "They also know things are tough for families out there, and they love to help a good cause."

Last year's tournament drew around 30 two-person teams and raised over $1,100 and 200 pounds of food for the pantry.

This year's event is already on its way toward beating that goal. Along with Pine Hills donating the greens and cart fees for the day, the Kohl's Distribution Center "Associates in Action" have already contributed $500 and again will have on hand volunteers to assist running the event.

Vicich, who finished the 2012 season ranked 20th in the PDGA rankings, has tied several good causes to his efforts. Last summer, he accepted pledges and donations based on his efforts at the PDGA World Championships and contributed $1,000 to the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer, specifically theovarian cancer and leukemia that had claimed the lives of his mother and aunt.

"In the last three years I've taken some pretty big steps in my career, and this year I hope the trend continues," said Vicich, 28, also a substitute teacher in the Ottawa school systems and who plans to get married in the fall. "It's also neat to be able to help others along the way."

Participants for this weekend can register in advance by calling Pine Hills at (815) 434-3985 or from 9-10 a.m. the day of. The entry fee for competitors is $25 to $30, depending on competitive division, though spectators are encouraged to bring canned goods to donate out to Pine Hills, enjoy its restaurant and bar and watch the competition from the warmth of the clubhouse.

Tee off is at around 10:15 a.m.

For more information about this event and others that Vicich has planned for this coming spring and summer, go to danadiscgolf.com.

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Source: http://www.mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=469737

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