UNIVERSITY PARK — The inaugural Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer golf tournament was held in 1996.

“We raised $16,000 and thought we were the cat’s meow,” said CVC committee chairman Steve Greer.

Fifteen years later, more than 350 golfers will take to the Penn State Blue and White courses today for

what has become one of the largest charitable events in the county.

As the Nittany Lions search for a new basketball coach, CVC committee members are hopeful Ed DeChellis’ replacement will provide similar support.

“I’m so happy at the way this thing has developed,” said former Penn State men’s basketball coach Bruce Parkhill, who launched the event’s predcessor, a 3-point shooting contest, in 1993. “I’m a little biased, but I think this is one of the classiest events in the area all year. You take it even further and it’s one of the most successful Coaches vs. Cancer events in the whole country.

“I really hope that whoever comes will keep it going the way that Jerry (Dunn) and Ed did.”

Thanks largely to the success of the tournament, the Penn State chapter of the CVC raised $210,000 for the American Cancer Society last year and organizers are optimistic funds will at least approach that mark in 2011. Former players and several of Penn State’s other varsity coaches joined sponsors Thursday evening for a reception and silent auction in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Terry Swanger and his wife, Lee, have helped organize the silent auction for about the last 10 years. Terry Swanger believes that DeChellis’ replacement won’t have reservations about getting behind Penn State’s CVC efforts, which include six other events annually.

“I’m certain,”

almost

Swanger said. “It’s so nationally supported when you get to CVC week that we know the work we do during a game in the winter will continue for certain. We’re hoping he’ll be behind us for this golf effort, which has just grown so much over the years. I have every confidence that whoever comes in will see that this committee has great legs, great

stamina, a lot of energy, great people and really does a load of work and will probably be happy to just become the face of the event.”

Greer, who like DeChellis is a cancer survivor, credited Penn State athletic director Tim Curley with getting many of the Nittany Lions’ other varsity coaches involved in the cause and believed the event’s continued success has stemmed from the committee making good on its promise to sponsors to keep the funds raised in the county. Many of those funds go to the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund, which helps local cancer patients and their families offset basic living costs as well as pay for lodging at the ACS’s Hope Lodge in Hershey.

“It’s a wonderful environment that we don’t rely solely on basketball,” Greer said. “No one’s bigger than the cause, and the cause is to fight cancer.”