By KATIE MCDOWELL/Lifestyles Editor

Local celebrities played a round of golf at Timberline Golf Club Oct. 4 to raise money for Special Equestrians, Inc.

The organization, which provides therapeutic horseback riding to people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities, expects to net about $15,000 from its annual Celebrity Gold Tournament, Assistant Director Dorrie Fuchs said.

“It looks like were going to come in around $15,000,” she said. “That’s not a final number though.”

Bobby Humphrey, a former University of Alabama football player, headlined the event and gathered a roster of 18 local celebrities to participate.

“He is the force behind all of this,” Volunteer Coordinator Jaime Laird said. “If we didn’t have him, I don’t know what we’d do.”

Smokey Hodge, a former Auburn University football player, returned to play this year.

“I’ve been doing this for the last eight years,” he said. “There’s nothing like giving back. I enjoy anything I can do to help out.”

Fuchs said she received positive feedback from both the celebrity and community players and thanked Timberline for sponsoring the tournament.

“We just felt like there was really good energy,” she said. “We had a celebrity who said he wanted to play with the same team next year because he had such a good time.”

Volunteer Coordinator Jaime Laird said about 17 teams of about 85 people participated in this year’s event.

Laird said the money raised from the tournament is used to support Special Equestrians’ programs, including maintaining its facilities and horses and supporting its programs.