CELEBRITY GOLF MATCH BENEFITS COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS, KIDS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

Hoping to win a 2000 gold Mercedes convertible, raise money for College of the Canyons and Special Olympics, and rub shoulders with celebrities, 180 golfers teed up Monday at the Valencia Country Club.

Braving brisk weather and frosty greens, which slowed their early morning start, the sell-out crowd of golfers were on hand for the ninth annual HR Textron Celebrity Classic.

``It's a good time for a good cause,'' said Joe Martino, a member of the College of the Canyons Foundation Golf Committee. ``It's a great opportunity to play on such a prestigious course and play with sports figures and celebrities.''

The typically by-membership-only golf course opened its doors for the daylong charity event, which raised money for the Valencia campus and its disabled students' program.

On hand were Los Angeles Dodgers Rick Dempsey and Tom Gamboa, Casey Candaele of the Houston Astros, Jeff Crillo of the Milwaukee Brewers, Mark Gubicza of the Anaheim Angels, former California Angel Ellis Valentine, actor Alan Thicke, and former Los Angeles Raider and Olympian Willie Gault.

``It's always a good situation when you get to give back to the community,'' Gault said. ``Anytime I get the time to help, I do.''

Many local television broadcasters also participated in the event, including Jonathan Elias, a College of the Canyons alumnus who served as honorary chairman of the event.

``The attention you get at COC is much more of an intimate contact,'' said Elias, a news anchor at KCBS (Channel 2). ``It's a gem in our backyard.''

Elias said he attended College of the Canyons for two years before getting a full scholarship to the University of California, Santa Barbara, and believes that the local school is a great benefit to the community.

``It's nice for those who can't afford to go to a four-year university,'' he said. ``It's much better to have a work force that's educated.''

The daylong event included golfing, lunch, dinner and a silent auction. The auction items included memorabilia from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, signed baseball bats from Pete Rose and Mark McGwire, and an autographed football from retired Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway.

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PHOTO Former Los Angeles Raider Willie Gault practices his putting before the HR Textron Celebrity Classic fund-raiser Monday.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer