Stars ready to come out today

When the Tri-City Americans moved from New Westminster, British Columbia, to Kennewick, Dusty Imoo and Olie Kolzig were slated as backup goalies to Frank Furlan.

Imoo was traded to Lethbridge before the season started, never playing for the Americans, but his friendship with Kolzig has spanned more than 20 years.

Imoo will be one of six goalies to tee off today at the 8th annual Olie and Stu's Desert Bash -- a fundraiser that benefits the Carson Kolzig Foundation.

"I have built up my relationship with Olie and Stu over the years," said Imoo, who now lives on White Rock, British Columbia. "Stu and I played together before the Bruins and we had the same agent. We became close friends right away. Olie came to New West and being a goalie, we got along right away. Olie and Stu are special on top of that. I would do anything for them."

The two-day golf tournament will be today and Monday at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland. The live and silent auction will be tonight, with several eye-catching items on the block. The theme of this year's auction is "Providing Hope."

"I have been to a lot of tournaments, but they do an unreal job," Imoo said. "Every time I bring something to the auction, it seems like a basket of fruit compared to some items."

Imoo, who played for Japan in the 1998 Olympics, is tight with Canadian rock band Nickelback, and is hoping to have concert tickets to add to the vast list of high-end items.

Last year's event raised a record amount of $180,000 for the Carson Kolzig Foundation. After the bills were paid, more than $90,000 was distributed to autism programs in the Tri-Cities. The foundation also awarded $7,500 in scholarships to the Neurological Resource Center to help more than 50 families attend the annual autism event at Three Rivers Convention Center last August.

"This is the first time we have had to turn celebrities away and the sponsorship is up," said Kolzig, whose eight-year-old son Carson is autistic. "We have a great selection of items for the live and silent auctions. We thought with the economy it would be the other way around, but people believe in the cause. There's not much more you can ask for.

"The great thing about this is raising money for a good cause, but it also gives athletes from different sports to mingle and get to know each other and businessmen to make contacts."

Kolzig, who had surgery on a ruptured tendon in his left arm March 7, is fully healed and has been playing a few rounds in preparation for the tournament.

"My arm has been 100 percent for six weeks now," Kolzig said. "Last year I had hip issues, which restricted my play, but I've been playing this year."

The Desert Bash, which has 34 teams, also features 34 celebrities that includes NCAA basketball official Dick Cartmell of Richland, country music artist Michael Peterson, former NFL players Gail Cogdill (1960 NFL Rookie of the Year with Detroit), Clint Didier (Washington) of Eltopia, Sam Holm (Kansas Chiefs, New York Giants), Michael Jackson (Seattle), Charles McShane (Seattle) and Alonzo Mitz (Seattle, Cincinnati); and former NBA players Bob Gross (Portland), Greg Smith (Milwaukee, Detroit, Portland) and Darrall Imhoff, who played 12 seasons in the NBA and won a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Hockey personnel inundate the event, with 19 players and an official on the roster.

Joining Kolzig and Barnes from the NHL are Matt Pettinger (Tampa Bay), Carey Price (Montreal), Chet Pickard (Nashville), Jamie Heward (Toronto), Byron Dafoe (retired) and Dan O'Rourke (referee).

Former Americans coach Bob Loucks will tee off, as will former Americans players Ben Kilgour, Rob Krauss, Taylor Procyshen, Dylan Stanley, Shaun Vey, Tyler Weiman, Jason Reese and Alex Aldred and current players Tyler Schmidt and Jordan Messier.

Among those making their first appearance is Bill Krueger, a Seattle Mariners baseball analyst for FSN.

A left-handed pitcher, Krueger played 12 seasons in the major leagues for eight different teams, including the Mariners. He finished his career 68-66 with a 4.35 ERA and 639 strikeouts.

Krueger and his wife Jo have an autistic teenage daughter, Chanel, and are active in autism programs in the Seattle area.