The McDonnell Group

WALESKA, GA – July 23, 2007- The Goshen Valley Boys Ranch announced today that its second annual Goshen Valley Classic charity golf tournament will be held October 9, 2007 at The Atlanta National Golf Club, located in Alpharetta, GA.

Goshen Valley Boys Ranch founder John Blend said, “Our first golf tournament, held in September 2006, exceeded all of our expectations due to the generous outpouring of support from sponsors and players. We’re looking forward to another day of fun and fellowship on October 9, 2007."

Connie and John Blend of Atlanta, Georgia established the Goshen Valley Foundation in 1997. By 1999 the Foundation had initiated and chartered the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, located on 400 acres in the Appalachian foothills of Northwest Cherokee County, Georgia. The purpose of the Ranch is to provide hope and a family-model home for boys who do not have either.

In the fall of 2002, the first residence opened for six boys. In 2004, the second residence opened for six more boys, and the ranch's respite house was remodeled. In 2005, the third and fourth residences opened on the ranch, bringing a total of 24 boys to the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch.

Blend said, “The full proceeds from last year’s inaugural tournament went straight towards completion of a long planned ‘miracle mile’ project to pave the Ranch’s dirt entry road. Thanks to the classic, we completed the paving work ahead of plan this past winter and it has already saved countless wear and tear on our Ranch vehicles.”

The tournament organizing committee has designed the second annual Goshen Valley Charity Classic to support the participation of golfers of all skill levels with a scramble shotgun start at 1:00 PM. The tournament will be followed by a silent auction, networking dinner, and awards reception at The Atlanta National club house.

Blend concluded, “Perhaps most importantly, the golf classic allows us to share the message of our ranch mission and ministry with over 120 executives and friends from the Atlanta area business community while highlighting the needs of the more than 18,000 foster children in Georgia.”

The Goshen Valley Boys Ranch would once again like to thank 2006 sponsors for their generous support: Alston & Bird (Gold Sponsor), Alliance Data, BearingPoint, The Brown Family, Cellnet, Golden Technology, Greenshift, Muhlenberg College, Oracle, Powell Goldstein, Procuri, Signum Group, Sun Belt, Turnpoint Solutions, and organizing sponsors The Meeting Source, Inc. and The McDonnell Group, Inc.

The Goshen Valley Boys Ranch recognizes and thanks Alston & Bird for its renewed commitment as Gold Sponsor for the upcoming 2007 second annual tournament.

Further registration and sponsorship information is available at www.GoshenValleyClassic.Org or contact development director Zach Blend directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 770-401-9395.