All net proceeds of an April 18 golf tournament held in honor of melanoma patients will benefit UC Irvine’s Department of Dermatology and efforts to find a cure.

The Eighth Annual Hack ’n’ Smack Kerry Daveline Memorial Celebrity Golf Classic, at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, kicks off at 11 a.m. with a shotgun start.

“It’s the cancer we can see but no one talks about,” organizer Kevin E. West said of melanoma. He founded the tournament in memory of his friend Kerry Daveline, an actor-singer who lost a five-year battle with the disease in 2003. The event, West said, combines their shared passion for golf with the fight against melanoma.

“It’s quite an honor that Kevin has chosen us as the sole beneficiary of his golf tournament,” said Dr. Christopher Zachary, chair of UCI’s dermatology department. “It’s important that people realize how potentially deadly melanoma is. This celebrity golf classic is a good way to raise awareness.”

Among this year’s celebrity participants are Joe Pesci (“Goodfellas”), Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy”), Patrick Warburton (“Rules of Engagement”), Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”), Dennis Haysbert (“The Unit”), Annie Wersching (“24”), John Schneider (“Smallville”), Vanessa Branch (“Pirates of the Caribbean”), Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules”), Paula Trickey (“Deal or No Deal”), Richard Karn (“Home Improvement”), Galen Gering (“Days of Our Lives”), former TV news anchor Harold Greene, and San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews.

Businesses taking part include 95.5 KLOS, the Nate ’n’ Al deli and Pink’s Hot Dogs, with entertainment from tribute group The Beach Toys. Mercedes-Benz of Encino is providing the hole-in-one prize: a Mercedes GLK.

The tournament honoree is UCI dermatologist Dr. Janellen Smith. “Each year, we recognize an individual whose participation in the event or the cause deserves to be honored,” said West. “Dr. Smith is a humble person, and we’re pleased to have had her involvement in this tournament for so many years.”

Melanoma survivor Elena Starkey is the recipient of the 2011 Warrior Award. Zachary treated the Orange County schoolteacher last year.

The golf fundraiser is presented annually by The Actors’ Network. For more information or to participate, go to http://www.hacknsmack.org/ or the Hack ’n’ Smack Facebook page.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

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