Tommy Thayer and Friends Return for Legends 2013

(press release) In what has become the largest event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, Pacific University Legends, hosted by Tommy Thayer will take place Sun., Aug. 25 at the beautiful and exclusive Waverley Country Club in Portland.

This is the seventh consecutive year that Tommy Thayer, lead guitarist for the legendary rock band KISS, has hosted the event that raises money for the university’s 23-sport NCAA Division III athletics program.

The venue this year is Waverley Country Club, which will help to make the event not only elegant but more memorable than ever. The end-of-the-summer gala will feature exquisite cuisine, a live auction, professional athletes, and a one-of-a-kind concert that only happens at this Legends event. Tickets sell quickly because of the unique nature of this concert. Thayer gathers well-known musicians from various legendary bands to create, for one evening, a unique blend of music that rocks the charts.

Joining Thayer on stage this year will be two-time Grammy award winning singer-songwriter and keyboardist, Bill Champlin, formerly of Chicago, known for voicing some of the band’s top hits and writing tunes such as “Please Hold On” and “Remembering the Feeling.”

Danny Seraphine, the original drummer and founding member of Chicago and California Transit Authority (CTA), will return for another legends. Bobby Kimball, former lead singer of the six-Grammy award winning band Toto, CTA arranger, producer and keyboardist Ed Roth, and Oregon’s Grammy nominated saxophone jazz musician, Patrick Lamb, will lend their fabulous musical talent to what will be a remarkable evening.

The celebrity list also includes legendary rock manager Doc McGhee, who nurtured and discovered the careers of KISS, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, The Scorpions, Hootie & The Blowfish, Diana Ross and James Brown.

Although several musicians from CTA will also be playing at the event, the line-up of legendary talent does not stop at rock musicians. Over the years, pro athletes and comedians have helped support the student-athletes of Pacific University. This year’s celebrity cast also includes:

Tommy Masters, who played on the Nike and Canadian tours from 1992 to 1995 and is now one of the top-rated teaching professionals in the United States. Masters has been listed as one of GOLF Magazine's Top-100 Instructors in the country for several years running. Tommy has hosted segments on Fox Sports Radio and ESPN Sports Radio and teaches PGA Tour players, as well as professional sports and entertainment stars.

Perry Swenson, who is the only female to record a hole in one at Augusta National, home of The Masters Tournament. Swenson starred on the Golf Channel’s reality series Road Trip Myrtle Beach in 2008, and spent six years as a professional golfer. Perry is deeply involved in charity work, benefiting work around families who have lost a parent in the military, muscular dystrophy, children’s cancer, autism and Alzheimer’s.

Amber Prange, who gained collegiate and amateur notoriety while at the University of Washington, also appeared on the Golf Channel's Big Break television series in 2009, and played on the LPGA Futures Tour (now the Symetra Tour). Amber is a dedicated and fierce competitor, as well as a successful businesswoman off the course.

Over the years, Legends has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Pacific University’s athletics program. Proceeds have helped upgrade facilities, enhanced operating budgets for sports programs and helped the school bring back the football program.

The event begins Sunday evening with a reception, followed by a fabulous dinner, both silent and live auctions, and an unforgettable concert that only Legends can deliver.

To reserve a place at the Pacific University Legends 2013, or for more information including celebrity biographies and sponsorship details, please visit pacificu.edu/legends.