On Monday, July 18, 2011 The Marty Lyons Foundation (MLF) will host its 26th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic at the Old Westbury Golf and Country Club. Jerry Olsen, Consultant and former Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Town of North Hempstead, will be honored at the event as the 2011 Man of the Year. The golf outing will be the biggest fundraising event of the year to benefit the MLF, a nonprofit organization with a mission to grant children with life threatening or terminal illness their special wishes. Golf-outing registration and brunch will be 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the cocktail and dinner reception, with award ceremony and raffle drawings, will be at 5:30 p.m. "This year's Honoree, Jerry Olsen, recently retired after 40 years of dedicated service with the Town of North Hempstead. During the last 20 years, he served as the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, overseeing the development of the town's park system that is enjoyed by families year-round. A project that Jerry can be very proud of is the Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington, one of the finest golf courses on Long Island, where tens of thousands of rounds of golf are played every year. Jerry and his colleagues at the Town of North Hempstead have been steadfast in supporting the foundation in its mission. It is because of this support that the MLF has been able to grant more wishes, especially the 2nd wishes for children in the end stage of their illnesses," said Marty Lyons, Founder and Chairman of The Marty Lyons Foundation. "It is an honor to be the recipient of The Marty Lyons Foundation's 2011 Man of the Year Award. I admire the zeal and dedication Marty Lyons possesses. He is a role model for all of us. I found great satisfaction in lending my support to this wonderful cause. It is a privilege to help bring joy into the lives of the wish children and their families," said Jerry Olsen. The Marty Lyons Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by Marty Lyons, a former NFL defensive lineman for the New York Jets and member of the legendary "New York Sack Exchange." The MLF grants wishes to children, between the ages of three and seventeen, who have terminal or life-threatening illnesses. Marty Lyons' determination led to the establishment of the MLF after his own personal experiences with sickness and the deaths of close family and friends. With the encouragement of his family and friends, he formed The Marty Lyons Foundation in 1982. Since that time the organization has worked to keep hope alive in the hearts of thousands of children and provide support to their families. Since it was established 29 years ago, The Marty Lyons Foundation has granted over 6,000 wishes that have brightened the lives of many children. Playing golf or attending the dinner helps to provide the foundation with the resources to fulfill its mission of granting children their special wishes. Golf packages, dinner tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information about The Marty Lyons Foundation and the 26th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic, please e-mail mac@martylyonsfoundation.org or call Mary Ann Canapi at (212) 977-9474. Information is also available at the Foundation's website: www.martylyonsfoundation.org.