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10-04-2005, 10:21 PM
Golfers eager to give back
Athletes proud of fund-raising power
By MECHELLE VOEPEL
The Kansas City Star
In a professional sports world where salaries have in so many ways distanced athletes and fans, the PGA Tour has wanted to somewhat bridge that gap. How? By pointing out, with its “Drive to a Billion” campaign, the tour’s immense charitable donations over the years.
And golf pros such as Peter Jacobsen, John Daly, Matt Gogel and Chris Riley were on hand at The National on Monday representing the “give-back” side of their sport. They and other local sports figures, such as George Brett and Jose Lima, played in the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids tournament at the course in Parkville.
Monday’s event was not directly affiliated with the PGA Tour — it benefited Brooks’ foundation, which distributes money to children’s charities worldwide — but it did highlight the fund-raising power of golfers.
The PGA Tour and its affiliates, the Champions and Nationwide tours, will soon eclipse $1 billion in charitable donations. The first recorded donation was for $10,000 at a 1938 event on Long Island, N.Y. Raising funds for charity has been a hallmark of pro golf ever since.
And just as prize money has skyrocketed in the last few years, aka the “Tiger Woods Era,” so have charitable donations. The PGA Tour was at $500 million in 1999 — and yet will reach $1 billion during this year.
“That’s an amazing milestone,” said Jacobsen, who competes on both the PGA and Champions tours. “And I also think events like this, which bring the personalities of players out to the public, are hugely important.
“We need to sell the quality of the players’ personalities. Guys like John Daly and Chris Riley and Matt Gogel. And every year, we have young guys coming up who can really play. You get to know them as golfers, but who are they as people? The other thing, too, to point out is how many things players do with their own charities. John Daly has raised over $28 million in the last six years just with his own events.”
Jacobsen and his team of amateur partners finished first in Monday’s 18-hole tournament; Gogel’s team was second and Daly’s third. Yet the event, obviously, was about charity, not competition. More than $500,000 was raised in an affiliated Sunday dinner and auction, including a $50,000 donation from the event underwriter, Harrah’s Casino. Jacobsen said this Kansas City event would launch a permanent pro-golf affiliation, called Tee-Mates for Kids, with Brooks’ foundation.
As for Brett, he said he had Monday’s event on his calendar for a long time, largely because of his friendship with Brooks.
“I got a chance to meet Garth years ago when he did a concert at Kemper Arena, and of course got to know him real well when he was with the Royals during spring training,” Brett said. “And my feeling on charities has changed a bit since I’ve had three kids. I’m always thinking now, ‘What can we do for kids?’ ”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12810477.htm
Athletes proud of fund-raising power
By MECHELLE VOEPEL
The Kansas City Star
In a professional sports world where salaries have in so many ways distanced athletes and fans, the PGA Tour has wanted to somewhat bridge that gap. How? By pointing out, with its “Drive to a Billion” campaign, the tour’s immense charitable donations over the years.
And golf pros such as Peter Jacobsen, John Daly, Matt Gogel and Chris Riley were on hand at The National on Monday representing the “give-back” side of their sport. They and other local sports figures, such as George Brett and Jose Lima, played in the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids tournament at the course in Parkville.
Monday’s event was not directly affiliated with the PGA Tour — it benefited Brooks’ foundation, which distributes money to children’s charities worldwide — but it did highlight the fund-raising power of golfers.
The PGA Tour and its affiliates, the Champions and Nationwide tours, will soon eclipse $1 billion in charitable donations. The first recorded donation was for $10,000 at a 1938 event on Long Island, N.Y. Raising funds for charity has been a hallmark of pro golf ever since.
And just as prize money has skyrocketed in the last few years, aka the “Tiger Woods Era,” so have charitable donations. The PGA Tour was at $500 million in 1999 — and yet will reach $1 billion during this year.
“That’s an amazing milestone,” said Jacobsen, who competes on both the PGA and Champions tours. “And I also think events like this, which bring the personalities of players out to the public, are hugely important.
“We need to sell the quality of the players’ personalities. Guys like John Daly and Chris Riley and Matt Gogel. And every year, we have young guys coming up who can really play. You get to know them as golfers, but who are they as people? The other thing, too, to point out is how many things players do with their own charities. John Daly has raised over $28 million in the last six years just with his own events.”
Jacobsen and his team of amateur partners finished first in Monday’s 18-hole tournament; Gogel’s team was second and Daly’s third. Yet the event, obviously, was about charity, not competition. More than $500,000 was raised in an affiliated Sunday dinner and auction, including a $50,000 donation from the event underwriter, Harrah’s Casino. Jacobsen said this Kansas City event would launch a permanent pro-golf affiliation, called Tee-Mates for Kids, with Brooks’ foundation.
As for Brett, he said he had Monday’s event on his calendar for a long time, largely because of his friendship with Brooks.
“I got a chance to meet Garth years ago when he did a concert at Kemper Arena, and of course got to know him real well when he was with the Royals during spring training,” Brett said. “And my feeling on charities has changed a bit since I’ve had three kids. I’m always thinking now, ‘What can we do for kids?’ ”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12810477.htm