The inaugural Jim Crane Celebrity Classic brought together sports legends and entertainment stars at the Floridian National Golf Club on Monday, raising over $1 million for charity.
Astros owner Jim Crane hosted the three-day event at the golf club he purchased in 2010, partnering with the Astros Foundation and rapper 50 Cent’s G-Unity Foundation to benefit organizations focused on youth sports and education, childhood cancer, military appreciation, and efforts to reduce homelessness and domestic violence.
Hall of Fame Names Fill the Field
The tournament featured an impressive roster of Hall of Fame talent from multiple sports. Baseball legends included Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Andruw Jones (newly elected to the Hall of Fame), Albert Pujols, Roger Clemens and Gary Sheffield. NFL greats Jim Kelly, Marshall Faulk, Ray Lewis, Eric Dickerson and Barry Sanders also participated.
Current and former Astros players attended to support the cause, including outfielder Cam Smith and recent Dodgers signee Kyle Tucker, who signed a four-year, $240 million contract last week after spending his first seven seasons with Houston.
“Jim’s awesome,” Tucker said. “He really cares about the people he’s around and that he wants to give back to, especially in the city of Houston.”
Perhaps the most iconic presence was 86-year-old golf legend Jack Nicklaus, who no longer plays competitively but attended to support the charitable mission.
For 22-year-old Smith, who broke into the big leagues last season, the experience was overwhelming. “This is my first real event, and I look to my left and right and see everybody from TV, just people I’ve always looked up to,” he said.
Entertainment, Events, and Community Impact
The weekend featured multiple events including a Terrell Owens pickleball clinic, a Par 3 Challenge, and a G-Unity Kick Off Party with live performances. Three-time Grammy winner Ne-Yo performed the national anthem before Monday’s golf tournament.
50 Cent, a Houston resident since 2021, praised the Astros Foundation as one of the city’s strongest charitable organizations. “I’ve made donations to other nonprofit organizations since 2003, but not all of them are successful foundations in actually making a change,” he said.
Throughout the weekend, numerous checks were presented to local organizations including Martin County North Little League and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin Counties.