Headlines
As reported by The Hartford Courant, August 16, 2005.
Calhoun Event a UConn Reunion
By Matt Eagan
AVON -- John Gwynn walked out of the clubhouse at the Avon Golf Club Monday and all he could see was former teammates.
Gwynn, a guard at UConn in 1988-91, was at the Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic, which helps raise money for cardiology research, because it's a good cause and because it's a chance to catch up with old friends.
"We all came back for this and that shows how much we all care about him," Gwynn said. "I took the day off to be here."
He was soon surrounded by the gang that started the Huskies' run toward national prominence.
Tate George and Scott Burrell were first to see him. Dan Cyrulik saw him, too.
Soon it was a reunion.
Other reunions were going on all over the practice area. Kevin Ollie was chatting with Jake Voskuhl. Emeka Okafor was talking with Charlie Villanueva.
"It's great when we all just sit around and everyone is still telling the same jokes," Ollie said.
For Calhoun, the return of his players is the fun part of a weekend that has a serious mission.
"This means a lot," Calhoun said. "To see all the players, the guys who are here now plus these guys will be coming back for the Hall of Fame, it's really a tremendous moment for UConn and for our family."
The two-day weekend event raised more than $200,000 for the Jim and Pat Calhoun Cardiology Research Endowment Fund at the UConn Health Center, which brings the event's seven-year total to $1.7 million.
With Calhoun set to enter the Basketball Hall of Fame in September, the weekend was almost the unofficial countdown to induction.
"He deserves it," Gwynn said. "I thought he should have got in last year, but I'm just so happy for him."