Former WSU stars coming together to raise $

PULLMAN -- Two former NFL Rookie of the Year winners, both Washington State graduates, are among the long list of Cougar celebrities who are coming together in June for a pair of memorable events aimed at raising money for WSU's ambitious plans in athletics.

Former Washington State football stars Drew Bledsoe, Rueben Mayes, Mark Rypien and Gail Cogdill are among the featured guests at the Cougar Legends Weekend on June 17-18 at The Coeur d’Alene Resort and Golf Course.

An 18-hole golf tournament, beverages for two days, a dinner and auction, breakfast and a post-tournament barbecue costs $3,000 for a team of four. The dinner and auction costs $250 per person for non-golfers.

Cogdill and Mayes, if you're wondering, are the two former NFL Rookies of the Year.

Meanwhile, the second annual Cougar Legends Fishing Adventure, organized by Ryan Leaf, takes place June 25-29 in British Columbia. For $4,350, fans are invited to fish and stay at a floating lodge on the Pacific Ocean with ex-WSU football players Jack Thompson, Jason Gesser, Bill Moos, Matt Kegel, Mayes and Rypien.

Proceeds fund WSU athletic scholarships. Annual increases in tuition have placed an increased burden on the WSU athletic department, which receives less financial support from fans, alumni and businesses than any other Pacific-10 school.For information, contact Justin Felker at 509-368-6729 or [e-mail].