NFL grads of Clayton Schools to bring star power to foundation fundraiser

Hines Ward will play in a celebrity golf tournament Friday to raise money for the Clayton County Schools Foundation.

Hines Ward will play in a celebrity golf tournament Friday to raise money for the Clayton County Schools Foundation.

Clayton County is using NFL greats who graduated from the district’s high schools to help raise money for the next generation of students.

Hines Ward, D.J. Shockley, Andre Hastings, Rodney Smith, Kyle Love, Harry Douglas and many others will play golf Friday in a celebrity fundraiser meant for the district’s annual Superintendent’s Golf Scholarship Tournament.

The tournament, now in its ninth year, raised an estimated $200,000 in cash and prizes in 2021. More than 200 scholarships and awards were distributed to Class of 2021 graduating seniors and district staff because of the fundraiser, the school system said.

This year, organizers hope to double or triple the funds raised in previous years, organizers said. They think the association of NFL players with the schools from which they graduated, which includes Jonesboro, Lovejoy and Morrow high schools, will help them achieve that goal.