Louie’s Kids Reveals Latest Celebrities to Play in its ‘Slim Down the South Celebrity Softball Challenge’

This week, Louie’s Kids names nine additional celebrities that will be playing in its second annual ‘Slim Down the South Celebrity Softball Challenge’ benefiting the area nonprofit on Saturday, Aug. 4 at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park (‘The Joe’).

Of these nine additional players, South Carolina fans will be pleased to see several University of South Carolina (USC) names, including that of Frank Martin, the newly named basketball coach of the Gamecocks. Martin, the former basketball coach of Kansas State University, was elected the new head coach of the USC basketball team in late March. The softball game will represent his first visit down to the Lowcountry since becoming the new USC coach. 

Additional players from the USC community include Harold Green, USC star running back and former NFL Cincinnati Bengal, Drew Meyer, former Texas Ranger and current assistant USC baseball coach, and USC baseball player Brison Celek.

Other newly-named celebrities to join the roster include Ted Valentine, Steven Jackson, Gettys Glaze, Paul Harris, and Jon Bruce, who replaces Dave Williams from the previous lineup.

General admission tickets to the game are $7 per person, lower reserve seat tickets are $12, upper reserve seat tickets are $9, with box seats closest to the field at $16.

To purchase tickets or for more information visit www.slimdownthesouth.com or call 843-724-9267. All proceeds from the game benefit Louie’s Kids and its programs. 

The game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4.

Below is the full list of players confirmed for next month’s softball game:

Coach Frank Martin – USC men’s basketball coach

Ted Valentine – SEC & Big Ten basketball referee 

Steven Jackson – former Major League pitcher, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees (World Series ’09 team), Pittsburgh Pirates

Harold Green – former NFL Cincinnati Bengals running back, USC star running back

Drew Meyer – assistant coach, Gamecocks men’s baseball, former Texas Ranger

Gettys Glaze – Citadel baseball, Boston Red Sox, Southern Conference Men’s Athlete of the Year

Paul Harris – former linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers 

Julie Roberts – country music singer 

Xavier McDaniel – NBA champion/All-Star 

 Chelsea Meissner – “Survivor One World” finalist, season 24

Chef Carla Hall  - ABC’s “The Chew”

Chef Amanda Freitag – Food Network’s “Chopped”

Chef Marvin Woods – Emmy Award-nominated television host, celebrity chef and cookbook author 

Terry Serpico – “Army Wives”/actor

Jim Stuckey – NFL Super Bowl champion

Coach Al Skinner – former Boston College men’s basketball coach 

Coach Charlie Driesell – Citadel basketball

Steven Johnson – College of Charleston / European pro basketball player

Anthony Johnson – College of Charleston / former NBA basketball player

Bubba Bryant – “Army Wives”/actor

Langston Moore – UFL/ former NFL player, USC grad 

Roberto Martinez – “The Bachelorette Season” 6

Sponsorships are still available, plus limited slots to play on a celebrity team. For details call or email Ashley Gunnin, Executive Director, at 843-724-9267 or ashley@louieskids.org. 

Sponsors of the event include Wells Fargo, Southwest Airlines, Charleston Magazine, Clear Channel Communications, Charming Inns, Y102.5 and WEZL, plus Limelight Custom Signs, JFletcher Designs, and Minutemen Printing.

About Louie’s Kids
Founded in 2001 in Alexandria, Va., and operated today out of Charleston, SC, Louie's Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds to help treat childhood obesity, which afflicts 25 million American children today. Working to find the best treatment options to meet needs of each child, it finds the fix that fits, one kid at a time. For more information about Louie’s Kids, visit www.louieskids.org.