Their time on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs may be over, but for a 26th-straight year, dozens of former players found a way to serve this community through a different kind of competition this week.
It was the annual Ambassador Golf Classic, and from Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Bell to former All-Pro return man Dante Hall, the event once again featured a star-studded group of alumni coming together to benefit the Ambassadors Charitable Foundation.
"We play in so many golf tournaments a year and now we're playing in ours," said Ambassadors President Tim Grunhard. "It's great to have so many people out here raising money for our great charities like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Camp Quality and others. It's a beautiful day and [we're excited] to play some golf."
This marked the second-straight year that the Ambassadors – a close-knit group of former players who continue to serve the Kansas City community – welcomed additional alumni to the tournament, making for a truly special event.
They all hit the course alongside representatives from numerous local businesses and sponsors for the tournament, which also served as a qualifier for the annual Super Bowl of Golf event in North Carolina.
"What's unique about our tournament is that we're connected with the Super Bowl of Golf through the NFL Alumni Association," said Ambassador Golf Tournament Chair John Lohmeyer. "Our winning team will be able to go to Pinehurst Country Club, where they'll represent the Chiefs and compete against the other 31 NFL communities."
Lohmeyer organized this year's tournament alongside fellow alumni Kelly Goodburn, Jan Stenerud and Trent Bryant, each of which played a role in bringing together various generations of Chiefs' football all in the name of supporting a good cause.
"We're like a fraternity. We have some players here today that actually rode the train from Dallas to Kansas City when the team re-located, we have Heisman Trophy winners here, we have players here that have Super Bowl rings and guys who are in the Hall of Fame," Lohmeyer said. "We're proud to be a part of that history, but we're also proud to be a part of the community and to help those that need it."
