Who makes fun of an NFL Hall-of-Famer during a charity event he’s hosting in your honor? Eleven-year-old Walkersville resident Emily Zimmerman, that’s who.
Last weekend she was honored as the patient hero at the 18th annual Bobby Mitchell⁄Toyota Hall of Fame Golf Classic, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. When she took the podium Sunday, in front of dozens of pro football and basketball hall-of-famers, she opened her speech with a joke about the tournament’s namesake. The light-hearted jab got a huge laugh and punctuated an amusing and uplifting weekend of which Zimmerman was the star.
‘‘It was really fun,” she said.
Three years ago, Zimmerman, whose father is Walkersville High boys basketball coach Bill Zimmerman, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In December, she underwent her last chemotherapy treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Home-schooled, she never lost her smile while maintaining her trademark optimistic disposition.
The weekend was a reflection of Zimmerman’s character. Often charitable events combating serious illnesses or catastrophic situations take on a melancholy tone. Not this one.
Zimmerman was surrounded by giants and legends. The event, held at the Lansdowne Resort outside of Leesburg, Va., was attended by dozens of NFL and NBA hall-of-famers, including the entire 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class that featured past Washington Redskin luminaries Darrell Green and Art Monk. Joining Mitchell were other Washington heroes including Sonny Jurgensen, Sam Huff, Charley Taylor, Bill Dudley and Ken Houston. Anthony Munoz (Cincinnati Bengals), Steve Largent (Seattle Seahawks), Art Shell (Oakland Raiders) and Oscar Robertson (Milwaukee Bucks) were among the other hall-of-famers who also turned out for the weekend.
‘‘Seeing these guys who my dad used to watch when he was little boy on TV and how their appearance has changed and how long it’s been since my dad has seen them [was my favorite part of the weekend],” Zimmerman said.
On the course Zimmerman putted for Monk, hit an iron shot for Taylor and teed off for former New England Patriot Andre Tippet. Robertson’s group won the event, which raised over $600,000, with a best-ball format score of 57.
‘‘It’s nice to see whose being affected by the money we raise,” Munoz said. ‘‘Any time you have a great testimony like that and see people who are given a second opportunity at life, that’s what it’s all about.”
So what was the joke? Zimmerman is the first female patient hero in the Classic’s nearly two-decade history. Unbeknownst to her parents or brother, Brent, she planned on calling Mitchell out on it, and to the delight of the crowd, did.
‘‘When her speech started she said ‘I just have one question Bobby, what took you so long?’” Emily’s mom Sandy said. ‘‘It just broke everyone up.”
