SOUTH CHICAGO HEIGHTS | Former professional wrestlers Scott Schwartz, of Seal Beach, Calif., and Juan Hernandez, of Beecher, along with former Chicago Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas, also of Beecher, are joining forces to fight hunger.
They are among the celebrities who will help raise money for Alicia's House food pantry, located at 17 Paulsen Ave. in South Chicago Heights.
The eighth annual celebrity golf outing, dinner and silent auction takes place Sept. 11 at the Lincolnshire Country Club, 390 E. Richton Road in Crete.
Hernandez, now an ordained minister, and his wife, Stella, established Alicia's House in memory of their granddaughter, Alicia, who died at age 4 in 2001.
Hernandez said he wants this year's fundraiser to exceed last year's efforts that brought in $32,000 for Alicia's House, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit food pantry. Alicia's House is open from 9 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday and serves families from Crete, Beecher, Steger, Monee, Peotone, University Park and South Chicago Heights.
"In 2009 we fed 3,261 families, 11,417 individuals and distributed 142,798 pounds of food," Juan Hernandez said. "This year we are up 41 percent in the amount of individuals we are helping. Alicia's House is totally supported by generous tax deductible donations."
The event starts at 11:30 a.m., followed by golf at 12:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. there will be a raffle and silent auction when the public can meet and greet the celebrities. At 6:45 p.m., the winners will be announced. The dinner starts at 7 p.m.
Other celebrities who will be at the event include:
• Another former wrestler, Kevin Hughes, known as "The Butcher"
• Jeff Renzetti, a former radio personality
• And Lee Roupas, a body building champion and author of two fitness books.
Items at the silent auction include:
• Two tickets to the Grammys and an after party
• Charlie Daniels' autographed fiddle, an "Abbey Road" album signed by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison
• A picture of Yoko Ono and John Lennon
• Autographed sports items, movie items, and books.
For more information about Alicia's House and the golf fundraiser, call (708) 946-3002. The website is www.aliciashouse.org.
Prior to the Sept. 11 event, Hernandez, Schwartz, and Pappas will be waiters at two south suburban restaurants on Thursday to raise additional funds for Alicia's House.
The trio will be serving breakfast from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Egg & I at 222 Dixie Highway in Chicago Heights. They will be serving pizza from 5 to 8 p.m. that evening at Aurelio's Pizza, 1372 Main St. in Crete.
Hernandez and Schwartz became friends as members of the Cauliflower Alley Club, a benevolent organization comprised of past, present and future champions in the wrestling world.
Schwartz, who has a website, www.ultimatebadguy.com, will be volunteering at Alicia's House on Tuesday.
After a successful wrestling career, Schwartz became an actor and stuntman, appearing in such films as "Spider-Man" and the "Ocean's 11, 12 and 13" series.
Hernandez and Pappas are neighbors in Beecher. Pappas pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 1970-73 and recorded a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.
Juan Hernandez attained the U.S. Heavyweight Professional Wrestling Championship and World Heavyweight Championship in 1987 and the Championship International Wrestling World Championship in 1990.
