Retired Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee said he’s been coming to Boothbay supporting Special Olympics Maine for what seems to him  “like a century.” The 13-year Major League Baseball player nicknamed “The Spaceman”  has attended nearly every one of the charity events dating back to its inception in 1990.

This is a busy time for Lee. He is running for Vermont governor as the Liberty Union’s party nominee and a motion picture “Spaceman” about his post-baseball career is set for a 2017 release. But on Sept. 23, he was in Boothbay, once again, supporting the annual charity golf and auction Special Olympics Maine fundraiser.

For decades, Lee has supported Special Olympics causes, first, in Vermont and later other events around the U.S. He began coming to Boothbay after the Boston Red Sox alerted former players about the event.

Lee has a special place in his heart for those with Down Syndrome and their families. He appreciates how Special Olympians are kind to each other and those around them. He also describes the families of children with Down Syndrome as being “kind and generous people.

“I just think they are the best people on Planet Earth,” he said. “It is so nice to see how kind they are to each other and everybody else. I think we could all learn something by how they live their lives.”

On Sept. 23 and 24, Lee was one of 22 retired athletes attending the 26th fundraiser for the Special Olympics. The event began by the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce promoting Windjammer Days. The celebrity auction and golf tournament proceeds were originally dispersed between the Windjammer Days event and Maine Special Olympics.

Since 1990, the fundraiser has contributed over $800,000 to Special Olympics Maine, according to BCC chairman Tony Krason. This year, the BCC contributed another $50,000 to Special Olympics Maine.

In 1996, the event once known as Windjammer Charity Classic Open became the Boothbay Charities Classic. Over the years, a new name hasn’t been the only major change. One major change occurred in 1996 when the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce withdrew as the event’s main sponsor. The second occurred when the Boothbay Country Club changed ownership.  Both times, Krason, who began volunteering on the WCCO event, was concerned how the change would impact the event’s future.

“We went through a couple big changes and made it through them both,” Krason said. “The change to the BCC really breathed some new life into it. The chamber remains active in the planning, but they didn’t want to receive charitable donations so they scaled back their participation.”

Despite the changes, the celebrity golf tournament and auction has grown over the years. The BCC has a long list of state and local sponsors providing logistical support. Whether it’s Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Wiscasset Ford providing transportation, lodging from local inns and motels, or food from local farmers and fishermen, the BCC has a long list of volunteers and contributors.

At one time, Krason estimated 154 local businesses or individuals participated in organizing the annual weekend event. Krason believes the Boothbay region is uniquely situated to host a large charitable event in a small seaside community.

“There is a magical quality of the Boothbay region’s people,” he said. “There have been some scary moments in the past with the changes in the chamber and ownership of the golf course. But the people of this region have always provided what we needed to make this event grow every year.”

Another key element in the BCC’s ongoing success are the retired athletes who participate each year. A group of 22-32 retired athletes continue to draw donors to the event each year.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks has been to nearly 20 Special Olympic Maine fundraisers held in Boothbay. Hendricks has supported Special Olympics for years. He raises money each September with his former Oakland Raiders’ teammates benefiting Special Olympics.

He learned about the Boothbay event through his friendship with another Pro Football Hall of Famer, the late Otto Graham, the father of former Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Duey Graham.

“I was coming here when it was a nine-hole tournament,” Hendricks said. “The first time I came was because of Otto. It’s such a good cause and it’s just a pleasure to help them out as much as possible,” Hendricks said.

The man in charge of getting all the athletes to Maine is Leon Blackman. He has played in all but one of the charity golf events. He joined the BCC board of directors a couple years after his wife, Brenda Blackman, joined the reconstituted board in 1998.

Blackman said once he makes contact with an athlete, it’s easy to convince them to attend.

“They all want to come, but they’re all busy so it’s not easy getting them to return a phone call or email,” he said. “They all have busy schedules and attend other charitable events and some like Otis Sistrunk and Ted Hendricks host their own.”

Attracting athletes like Bill Lee is simple, according to Leon Blackman.

“The only person responsible in getting Bill Lee here is Bill Lee. He has always been a big Special Olympics guy. And he’s been committed to this event since day one,” Blackman said.

Most of the athletes attending each year have a connection to the Special Olympics. Several sports celebrities who participated in the BCC in the past have died in recent years. Among those are former NFL players Earl Morrall, Ben Davidson and Garo Yepremian.

These absences have been filled by new arrivals. Two professional athletes under age 40 have joined the list of participants in recent years. Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Seth Wescott from Farmington and former Red Sox pitcher and Bangor High School graduate Matt Kinney have attended recent BCC weekends.

Wescott is a member the Special Olympics Maine Board of Directors as is BCC chairman Krason.

“He (Wescott) just doesn’t stop giving to this organization,” Krason said. “He has a busy schedule. If he can’t attend, he makes sure something is sent for the auction.”

Kinney realized a lifelong dream in 1995 being drafted by the Red Sox as a high school senior. He pitched for four major league teams and in Japan. Kinney, 39, is retired and now works with children with special needs and Special Olympians in Arizona.

This was his third BCC.

”I was asked if I would like to come and I told them absolutely. I brought my wife and two kids this year because it’s such a great event,” he said.

The BCC is one of the top Special Olympics Maine fundraisers each year. According to Krason, a softball tournament at Sugarloaf Ski Resort raises about $35,000 a year, the Maine Law Enforcement Torch Run earns $400,000 per year, and a windshield cleaning by Special Olympians at Irving Oil and Circle Ks around the state earned $200,000 last year.