American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer Las Vegas Golf Classic 2025 E-Update

Dec. 2024 ￨Issue No. 2

Supporters of longtime event feel impact of ACS as patients

Two beloved members of the Las Vegas community - who both had previous ties to the Coaches vs. Cancer LV Golf Classic and coach Lon Kruger - battled throat cancer within a year of one another. And they are still winning.

Steve Stallworth, GM of the South Point Casino Arena & Equestrian Center, was diagnosed in August 2022 (learn more about his story here). Tyler Corder, Findlay Automotive’s CFO was diagnosed in May 2023. The friends (who are also friends with LV Classic founder Lon Kruger) are not only survivors, they are now both active in supporting the American Cancer Society and others facing the battle. 

“I would argue that for a lot of us, surviving cancer was actually a new beginning that we needed to appreciate the rest of our life and not take any days for granted,” said Stallworth (pictured), who played quarterback at UNLV in the 1980s. 

Corder echoed Stallworth: “I now treasure every single day and I’m much more appreciative of my friends and family. I make a conscious effort to slow down and appreciate all of the simple pleasures in life.

While both were already two of the most active volunteers in Las Vegas prior to their cancer fights, they have focused even more on ACS. 

“There are so many cancer patients that need the support and resources provided by the American Cancer Society,” Corder (pictured) said. “I was fortunate to have a great support network. The American Cancer Society is there to support those that may not be as fortunate as I was. That’s why I’m now very involved with ACS to help others as they fight this disease.”

They know that support is saving lives.

“I honestly had no idea about a lot of the incredible work being done by the American Cancer Society until I went through my cancer journey,” Stallworth said. “The good news about my cancer is that there is now a vaccine available for the HPV virus. The American Cancer Society has done an amazing job creating awareness of the vaccine and has an initiative to eliminate HPV cancers by reaching an annual vaccination rate of 80% of 13-year-olds in the United States by 2026.”

Because of your support of the Las Vegas Golf Classic, our friends like Steve and Tyler are still with us - and are fighting for others. 

Oregon coach Dana Altman has been a key fixture at the Coaches vs. Cancer Las Vegas Golf Classic since its inception nearly two decades ago, with many of the events being hosted at MGM Grand. Not only does Altman know how to produce results to support the American Cancer Society at MGM Grand, he also knows how to get results on the court. 



Over Thanksgiving week, Oregon won the inaugural Players Era Championship at MGM Grand as the Ducks jumped into the Top 25. 

It is with great sadness that the Las Vegas Golf Classic team share the passing of Sharon Herrmann in October after a courageous battle with Merkle cell carcinoma. Sharon was the beloved wife of Classic supporter Coach Pete Herrmann. The two were married a remarkable 54 years, enjoying a lifetime of adventures all over the country. Sharon embraced the role of coach’s wife and also followed her passion for teaching. She got her start in the elementary age classroom and later made the transition to teaching at the college level. Read more here.

We send our heartfelt condolences to Coach Herrmann and his family and friends. 

This year will mark the 18^th year of the Coaches vs. Cancer Las Vegas Golf Classic presented by Sanford Health - and the event keeps growing to support the American Cancer Society. Make plans today to secure your foursome in the May 18-20, 2025 event hosted at Park MGM. Golf will be played at four of the top courses in the Southwest - Shadow Creek, Southern Highlands, Cascata and TPC Summerlin - as we target the big goal of raising $2 million to donate to ACS.  

Help us grow the event by recruiting others who might be interested. Foursomes are $20,000 and include hotel accommodations, golf, parties and meals. To RSVP, contact Lon Kruger at lonkruger12@gmail.com or (405) 401-8326. 

Head coaches expected for 2025 include:

Roy Williams

North Carolina (retired)

Greg McDermott

Creighton

Matt Painter

Purdue

Fred Hoiberg

Nebraska

Porter Moser

Oklahoma

Chris Crutchfield

Omaha

Dan Lanning

Oregon FB

Bob Chipman

Washburn (retired)

Ron McHenry

Washburn (retired)

Dana Altman

Oregon

Lon Kruger

Retired

Andy Enfield

SMU

Tubby Smith

High Point (retired)

Jerome Tang

Kansas State

Tim Miles

San Jose State

Chris Klieman

Kansas State FB

Ron Cottrell

Houston Christian (formerly)

Fran McCaffery

Iowa

Brad Underwood

Illinois

Kevin Kruger

UNLV

Mark Schmidt

St. Bonaventure

Steve Alford

Nevada

Reggie Theus

Bethune-Cookman

Pete Herrmann

Young Harris (retired)

Jim Harrick

UCLA (retired)

A special thank you to our sponsors

Want to join the likes of Sanford Health, MGM Resorts International, NextGen Cattle Co., Nike, The UPS Store, Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Wald Family Foods, Gilead Oncology and Xs & Os of Success and play an even bigger role in supporting Coaches vs. Cancer? All while gaining valuable exposure for your organization? 

Find out more about becoming a sponsor of the 2025 Coaches vs. Cancer Las Vegas Golf Classic by contacting Bridget Byrne at bridget.byrne@xsosofsuccess.com or (702) 275-1124.

Have questions about the 18th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Las Vegas Golf Classic? 

Visit the Classic's website or contact Ryan Daley with American Cancer Society at ryan.daley@cancer.org or (702) 908-9061.