Cougar Canyon To Host “Goose” Gossage

Major League Hall of Famer Will Be in Trinidad
to Support the Trinidad Community Foundation

One of the best closing pitchers in Major League history will be opening his golf bag for a good cause next month in Trinidad, Colorado. Richard “Goose” Gossage, a 2008 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, will play in the 3rd Annual City of Champions Golf Tournament at Cougar Canyon Golf Links on May 17th to support the Trinidad Community Foundation. Gossage will also be the keynote speaker at a charity dinner for the organization on Saturday, May 16th, the day before the tournament.

The organization for which Gossage is appearing, The Trinidad Community Foundation (TCF), is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting other non-profits in and around Trinidad. Established just three years ago, TCF has already funneled more than $125,000 into local area causes such as the Purgatoire River project and Cimino Park, a new Trinidad city park dedicated to Trinidad native and TCF founding member, Jay Cimino. Cimino, who owns the Phil Long Dealerships, donated a large portion of the required funds through TCF. “The [Trinidad Community] Foundation is made up of a group of people who care about Trinidad and want to support its greatest resource: the people of Trinidad and Las Animas County,” said Howard Lackey, past president and current TCF board member. “We can’t tell you how excited we are to host Goose Gossage. His visit will go a long way to help us meet our goals this year,” Lackey went on to say.

Gossage is a Colorado Springs native who played Major League baseball for nine different teams during his 21-season career including the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The Goose earned nine All-Star appearances and pitched in three World Series including the 1978 World Series for the New York Yankees in which they won. After retiring in 1994, Gossage returned to Colorado Springs where he is very active in promoting youth sports. In early 2008, Gossage was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his ninth year on the ballot.

The golf course hosting the tournament, Cougar Canyon Golf Links, has also had its share of national recognition. Since opening less than two years ago, Cougar Canyon has garnered no less than five national awards including Golf Digest Magazine’s “#3 Best New Course of the Year” in 2008 and Golfweek Magazine’s “#1 in Colorado – Best Courses You Can Play” 2008 award. “It’s only appropriate that the City of Champions Golf Tournament hosts one of the greatest Major League Baseball players of all time on the golf course that has won more awards than any other in Colorado in the past two years,” said Scott Candland, Cougar Canyon’s Managing Director.

To register for the 3rd Annual City of Champions Golf Tournament and Banquet, please call (719) 846-3943 or email to info@trinidadcf.org.

For more information about Cougar Canyon, please visit www.CougarCanyonLiving.com or call (877) 547-7455.