Kerry Wood’s annual celebrity bowling tournament to benefit Derrek Lee’s “Project 3000”

Chicago
Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood and his wife Sarah have announced that the fourth
annual “Kerry Wood’s Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament” will
be held Sunday, July 22 at the 10pin bowling lounge, located at 330 N. State
St. in Chicago. The event will be emceed by the KISS FM’s DreX in the Morning,
Mel T. and Petey.

Cubs first
baseman Derrek Lee is actively involved with “Project 3000”, the
beneficiary of the tournament. “Project 3000” was launched in 2006
when Lee and Boston Celtic CEO/co-owner Wyc Grousbeck, each of whom has a child
with LCA (Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis), created a partnership with the
University of Iowa to advance scientific understanding of this genetic eye
disease and to work toward a cure.

“Sarah
and I are very excited to be hosting the tournament again this year. It is
unfortunate that I have been unable to contribute on the field yet this season,
but we are so happy to be part of this event and able to contribute in this
way. We are part of the Cubs family and are so grateful that we can help Derrek
and his family with their goal to find a cure for LCA,” stated Wood.

The
tournament will feature many of Kerry and Derrek’s teammates along with other
local celebrities joining forces with 24 corporate-sponsored teams for an
evening of bowling.

“I am
thrilled to be a part of the event again this year. It is a first class affair
and such fun for everyone involved,” said Lee. My wife Christina and I are
very grateful to the Woods for including us this year and helping ‘Project
3000’ so we can find a cure for LCA. This is so important to us and the many
other families who deal with this disease on a daily basis.”

This
year’s event will include a Draw Party on Saturday evening, July 21 at Harry
Caray’s Italian Steakhouse where sponsors will have the chance to bid on their
celebrity team captain. In addition to bowling, Sunday’s festivities include
celebrity bar tending and a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind signed
memorabilia items and trips.

To sponsor
a lane, or purchase Standing Room Only tickets please contact Lil Amatore at
212.784.6450 or visit www.kerrywoodstrikezone.com.

In its
first three years, Kerry’s bowling tournament raised over one million dollars
for pediatric cancer research for
Chicago’s
Children’s

Memorial

Hospital. Having met that
goal, the Wood’s continue to be actively involved in other programs at
Children’s, generously donating their time and resources.

Project
3000 refers to the number of people in the

United States with LCA. Nearly 600
Americans with LCA already are known, so about 2,400 people in the nation
remain to be identified.

Affected
individuals will be offered testing at the

University of
Iowa’s
John and Marcia Carver Nonprofit Genetic Testing Laboratory. Through the
testing service, UI experts will give people with LCA more accurate information
about their disease. The eventual goal is to find a cure. For more information
about the search for people with LCA, visit http://carverlab.org and click on
the Project 3000 link or call toll-free 866-495-CURE (2873).”