OCEAN CITY- The 8th Annual Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Golf Tournament, an annual fundraiser held in honor of a young Ocean City boy who tragically died after falling through the ice at Northside Park in 2003, got underway today at the Newport Bay course of the Ocean City Golf Club in South Point.

The Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Foundation was created as part of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) worldwide initiative to lend a hand to countries around the world that are unable to provide quality sports programs for children. All funds raised through the Sammy Wilkinson Memorial fund are earmarked for the Game On! Youth Sports initiative and the Global Gear Drive program.

The Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Golf Tournament today is just one of many fundraising events throughout the year and one of the most popular. It is paired with the annual “Jam for Sam” benefit held later in the evening on at Seacrets, with all the proceeds going to the foundation.

Following the action on the course, participating golfers will head to Seacrets for the annual Jam for Sam benefit, featuring live local musicians, food, discounted drink prices, door prizes and silent auction items. Sam's father, Bob Wilkinson, and his uncle, Darren Engh, make up the popular acoustic duo Opposite Directions.