(OCTOBER 18, 2019) The public is invited to attend “Four Centuries in a Weekend,” a John Shippen exhibition and documentary film that chronicles the first African American-owned golf and country club, Shady Rest G&CC. The program is being presented by the Preserve Shady Rest Committee and will be held October 19-20, 2019 from 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at the renovated Shady Rest clubhouse, 820 Jerusalem Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076.
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(l-r) The St. James Co-founders Craig Dixon and Kendrick Ashton (Photo Credit: Adam Ewing)
Springfield, Va. – (October 17, 2019) – The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and entertainment destination in the country, announced today partnerships with TaylorMade and Tecnifibre, the leading golf and racket sports companies, respectively, in the world. The partnerships are designed to infuse The St. James’s golf and squash offerings, including its best-in-class lessons and training, camps, clinics, tournaments and leagues with cutting edge instructional content and world-class technology and equipment, and provide TaylorMade and Tecnifibre with greater engagement with significant numbers of grassroots golf and squash enthusiasts.
The partnerships with TaylorMade and Tecnifibre, which are The St. James’s first brand partnerships, follow The St. James’s partnerships with DC United and MedStar Health and advance its strategy of bringing world-class offerings and experiences to local and regional sports enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.
TaylorMade is the leading golf engineering and innovation company in the world. The top golfers in the world play with TaylorMade clubs, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Sung-Hyun Park, the No. 1 player in ladies golf.
Not to be outdone, Tecnifibre is the global leader in the design and manufacturing of rackets and racket strings for tennis and squash. Top tennis and squash players playing with Tecnifibre rackets include Daniil Medvedev, the world’s No. 4 ranked tennis player and 2019 US Open finalist, and Mohamed El Shorbagy, the world’s No. 2 ranked squash player.
“TaylorMade and Tecnifibre are two of the world’s most innovative sports companies,” said Kendrick Ashton, The St. James co-founder. “The engineering and design talent and investment they bring to bear in service of helping athletes push to ever greater heights of achievement is unparalleled and is completely aligned with our mission of helping people maximize their potential.”
“We were very careful in selecting our first brand partners,” said Craig Dixon, The St. James co-founder. “We wanted global brands that embody innovation and excellence. We achieved that with TaylorMade and Tecnifibre.”
In addition to enhancing The St. James’s golf and squash programming with their instructional and technology expertise, TaylorMade and Tecnifibre will have significant brand presence in the Squash and Golf House at The St. James, the 15,000 sq. ft. state of the art training and competition center featuring eight international squash courts and seven full swing golf simulators. TaylorMade and Tecnifibre will also produce events. Tecnifibre’s sponsored athletes will make appearances and provide clinics at The St. James. The brands will also test and demo products in development at The St. James and release new products at the complex. TaylorMade will have a golf club fitting center in the Squash and Golf House. Both brands will be featured in The St. James’s performance retail boutique, Strivers.
The St. James facility has seven full swing golf simulators
“The St. James is providing incredibly unique and compelling sports and entertainment experiences for sports enthusiasts and a premium, technology-infused year-round golf experience,” said Joe Heid, Regional Sales Manager, TaylorMade. “We were impressed with our ability to get our clubs in front of so many golfers at all stages of their engagement with the game and we’re excited about partnering with The St. James to build the game as they expand across the country.”
“The growth of squash in the U.S. over the last 10 years has been breathtaking,” said Wael El Hindi, Squash Promotion Manager for Tecnifibre USA. “Our investment with The St. James, one of the best squash training centers in the world, is a reflection of our belief in the quality of experience and training they’re delivering and in the continued growth in popularity of squash in the country.”
TaylorMade golf club fitting center
The St. James, which opened its first flagship just outside of Washington, DC in the fall of 2018, plans to open its second flagship in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire in the fall of 2021. Its golf program is led by Sam Lyons, Director of Golf. Sam distinguished himself as a member of the men’s golf team at Coastal Carolina University where he played alongside some of the best in the world, including Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler. He was ranked inside of the top 100 in the R&A World Amateur ranking. Lyons went on to make his mark as a professional golfer, competing in tournaments around the world, including the NGA Tour, the Asian Tour, Web.com Tour and the Egolf Tour. Sam has served as director of coaching and operations for Ivy Golf Academy for elite golfers, and as lead golf instructor for all ages at MCG Golf Academy in Potomac, Maryland.
The St. James squash program is led by Alister Walker, Director of Squash. Alister has been a world-class professional squash player since 2001. He reached a career-high of world #12, winning 11 PSA world tour titles. He also won the World Junior Team Championships and European Senior Team Championships. He made history for his birth country by winning Botswana’s first gold medal in an international squash event and the Men’s Individual All-Africa title. His coaching career involves roles working with the elite sections at Chelsea Piers and CityView Racquet Club. Alister holds an England Squash Level 3 coaching qualification and has coached the varsity squash teams at Columbia University
About The St. James
The St. James is the premier sports, wellness and entertainment destination brand in the country. Our mission is to maximize human potential by designing, developing and operating sports, wellness, entertainment and hospitality programs, services and experiences that engage, inspire and empower people to pursue their passions and be their best at play, at work and in life. The St. James aims to serve as the center of the universe in every community where it is located by delivering the most comprehensive combination of best-in-class sports and wellness venues, developmental and elite coaching, training and competition, five-star lifestyle experiences and family-centered active fun all in an environment that engages, inspires and delights everyone that comes through our doors. For more information, please visit thestjames.com.
About TaylorMade Golf
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, TaylorMade Golf is a leading manufacturer of high-performance golf equipment with industry-leading innovative products like M5/M6 metalwoods, M5/M6 irons, TP5/TP5X golf balls and Spider putters. A major force on the PGA TOUR, TaylorMade has an unrivaled athlete portfolio that includes Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa.
About Tecnifibre
Founded in 1979 by Thierry Maissant, Tecnifibre is the premier global leader in the design and manufacturing of rackets and racket strings for tennis and squash. Tecnifibre’s manifesto is to provide all racket sports players with an adapted, suitable product whatever the players’ level.
Michael Cooper (l) and James Beatty (r) with the late House Oversight Committee Chairman, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., on Capitol Hill in May 2019 during National Golf Day.
OCTOBER 17, 2019, BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings died early Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital due to complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office said. He was 68.
A sharecropper’s son, Cummings became the powerful chairman of a U.S. House committee that investigated President Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his black-majority district, which encompasses a large portion of Baltimore as well as more well-to-do suburbs.
“What a loss. I feel fortunate that we were able to meet and talk with him this past May during National Golf Day,” stated James Beatty, Executive Editor, African American Golfer’s Digest.
“I held him in such high regard; he was a tireless worker, committed, fair and he will truly be missed. We need more like him.”
“No doubt! Tremendous loss,” said Dr. Michael Cooper, Chairperson, Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force. The highlight of 2019 for me was meeting him at National Golf Day, followed by the CBC meeting later that afternoon. None of that would not have happened without your persistence, my friend.”
Cummings’ long career spanned decades in Maryland politics. He rose through the ranks of the Maryland House of Delegates before winning his congressional seat in a special election in 1996 to replace former Rep. Kweisi Mfume, who left the seat to lead the NAACP.
Cummings was an early supporter of Barack Obama’s presidential bid in 2008. And by 2016, Cummings was the senior Democrat on the House Benghazi Committee, which he said was “nothing more than a taxpayer-funded effort to bring harm to Hillary Clinton’s campaign” for president.
Throughout his career, Cummings used his fiery voice to highlight the struggles and needs of inner-city residents. He was a firm believer in some much-debated approaches to help the poor and addicted, such as needle exchange programs as a way to reduce the spread of AIDS.
His constituents began mourning shortly after his death at 2:45 a.m. on Thursday. The Baltimore archdiocese tweeted that Cummings “generously shared his God-given gifts and talents w/the people of his beloved city, state and nation for so many years. We give thanks for his dedicated service and pray for the repose of his soul.”
Cummings was born on Jan. 18, 1951. In grade school, a counselor told Cummings he was too slow to learn and spoke poorly, and he would never fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer.
“I was devastated,” Cummings told The Associated Press in 1996, shortly before he won his seat in Congress. “My whole life changed. I became very determined.”
It steeled Cummings to prove that counselor wrong. He became not only a lawyer, but one of the most powerful orators in the statehouse, where he entered office in 1983. He rose to become the first black House speaker pro tem. He would begin his comments slowly, developing his theme and raising the emotional heat until it became like a sermon from the pulpit.
Cummings was quick to note the differences between Congress and the Maryland General Assembly, which has long been controlled by Democrats.
Three students representing members of the Georgia state champion Drew Charter high school golf team. @HV3_GOLF
BY AAGD STAFF
(OCTOBER 16, 2019) Earlier this year during spring golf season, the Drew Charter men’s golf team from Atlanta made history as they won the Class A Public State Championship. The tournament was rightfully sensationalized, as it marked the first time for the Atlanta Public School to capture the state golf title. The win also the first time in which an all-black team and coaching staff gained top honors in the state of Georgia.
Inspired by the team, on Tuesday, PGA Tour player Harold Varner III has shown his support by donating $5,000 to the school’s golf program. Varner announced his contribution via Twitter and congratulated the team on their effort.
“Congratulations to Drew Charter on winning their Georgia HS State Championship,” Varner wrote on Twitter. “These guys were the first All Black Golf Team to win a high school golf state championship. With that said, I would like to announce that the HV3 Foundation will be donating $5k to their program.”
The donation was made by Varner’s HV3 Foundation. According to the official website, Varner started the foundation ” in an effort to give back to less fortunate kids that could greatly benefit from increased access and opportunity in sport.” The foundation aims to “bring awareness to the rising cost of entry and access in sports,” by providing “financial assistance for equipment, after school programs, instruction, camps, and various other avenues where an athlete can cultivate his/her passion.”
He couldn’t have found a better group to support than the student-athletes on the Drew Charter golf team. To win the state title, Drew Charter defeated the two-time defending champions by an incredible 15 strokes.
Donations can be made to Varner’s HV3 Foundation here.
OCTOBER 14, 2019—The U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group (The Golf Group) has announced its latest raid as part of its fight against fake golf equipment. During the raids, authorities in China found nearly 1,000 counterfeit golf products, adding to the Golf Group’s total of more than two million counterfeit products seized by law enforcement since its inception in 2004.
During the raid this spring, 782 pieces of counterfeit golf clubs and other equipment were seized from offices/warehouses in Shenzhen City and Dongguan City, China. Confiscated in the raid were 348 drivers, 290 irons, 58 putters, 48 boxes of golf balls, 18 golf bags, and 20 club headcovers.
“For many years, counterfeiters around the world have been taking advantage of the popularity of all of our brands for their own benefit, and we’re thrilled that the authorities in China are sending the message that producing and selling fake golf equipment will not be tolerated,” said Sonia Lari, Associate Intellectual Property Counsel, Callaway. “Counterfeit equipment continues to threaten the integrity of the game. With golf equipment becoming more advanced every year, the enforcement efforts driven by the Golf Group are more important than ever to protect consumers and the game of golf.”
An in-depth investigation of the counterfeit operation began in early May, during which it was discovered that the counterfeiters in question were about to clear their inventory and sell the fake golf products to the public. The subject was selling products out of a storefront in Taobao, which authorities estimate had been selling counterfeit clubs and accessories for more than 5 years. The raid was carried out by local government law enforcement authorities and following the investigation, the head of the counterfeit operation was arrested, the counterfeits seized and the locations in both cities sealed. The imitation products are in the process of being destroyed.
“While we are excited that this raid was completed, we know our work to fight fakes in golf is far from over,” said Lisa Rogan, Director of Trademarks and Brand Protection for Acushnet. “We must constantly partner with authorities in China to take down these criminals. We must continue to educate and work with consumers who suspect a website selling equipment online is pushing counterfeit products. And we are committed to doing this by innovating new strategies to prevent forgeries worldwide.”
To give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at the raid, The Golf Group has posted a number of photos of the recent raid on its website, www.keepgolfreal.com and on its Facebook page. Golfers and consumers may also visit the Golf Group Facebook page for more information on the Group’s latest work, as well as tips and insights on how to avoid counterfeit equipment, and how to report suspected counterfeit golf equipment sellers.
About the Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group
The Golf Anti-Counterfeiting Group consists of six of the most well-known golf companies in the world—Acushnet Company, whose brands are Titleist, FootJoy and Scotty Cameron; Callaway-Odyssey; Srixon, Cleveland Golf and XXIO; PING; PXG; and TaylorMade. Formed in 2004, the Golf Anti-Counterfeiting Group has supported the efforts of international law enforcement and government agencies to conduct raids and investigations of counterfeit operations, as well as raise public awareness of the issue. Since its inception, the Golf Group’s legal efforts led to the shutdown of more than 1,500 fraudulent websites and authorities have seized more than two million counterfeit golf products.
(originally published in Deacon’s Lodge by RJ Smiley)
October 12, 2019
He is a Minnesota golf icon! Ed Manderville single handily shattered the color barrier in Minnesota golf.
On Memorial Day 2017, “Fast Eddie,” made his eleventh Ace, at age 85. With an outgoing personality and a wonderful smile Manderville has made Minnesota golfers color blind. “In all my years playing competitive golf, I have never had a race problem. When you have a strong game and a smile on your face, people forget about race.”
In a recent interview with “Fast Eddie,” I learned that the truly gifted athlete could have excelled in almost any sport.
In high school Ed excelled at football and boxing. He was a two-time Minnesota State Welterweight Boxing Champion. His coach kept telling Ed, “Just hit them with that big right hand.”
Ed went on to box Golden Gloves for several years. “My boxing career ended the night I fought Gus Berthusen. He hit me harder than anybody had ever hit me and I went down. I remember the ref counting while I saw stars and heard birds singing. Somehow I got to my feet at the count of 9. I was just covering up while he was hitting me in the ribs, trying to get me to open up. Then I saw an opening and caught him with my right hand,” Ed said as he smiled with his eyes. “I broke my thumb with the knock out punch. That was my last fight. I never wanted to get hit that hard again.”
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Ed was also a wonderful downhill ski instructor. He formed the Gelende Ski Club. “Fast Eddie” used his God given hand-eye coordination to become a professional archer finishing third in a Minnesota championship.
Ed first placed those magic hands on a golf club when he was 26. “My landlord took me to Wirth Golf Course in 1959. My bag was filled with 24 clubs, not one from the same manufacturer. Golf was hard, but on the par-3 eighteenth hole, I hit the green and 2-putted for par. I was hooked! I spent hours and hours at the range where two golf pros saw my potential and worked with me for free.”
“As I look back, golf really came too easy for me. I did not have the learning curve that most players have. I was so green, I embarrassed myself often. When I started playing other black players told me that no golf club would allow a black man to join their club. I proved them wrong when I joined Wirth’s Men’s Club. In those days the 24-man team competition was a big deal. Wirth had a great team and I got acquainted with other good golfers around the Twin Cities.”
“I heard about the Gross Invitational golf tournament, and signed up. I won the tournament breaking 70 for the first time. A few weeks later a love affair began. I was sitting in the grill at Wirth when a tall blond haired blue eyed guy walked in and said, ‘Is that Manderville guy in here?’ I did not like his attitude, and said nothing. Someone pointed to me and Harvey Borseth walked over and said, ‘Are you Manderville?’ I nodded yes. I won the Gross Invitational the last three years. ‘Well you did not win it this year.’ You think you can beat me? Let’s go find out if you can really play?”
“I shot 34 on the front and Harvey said, ‘I don’t want to play against you, let’s be partners. We can win some money.’”
“Over the years Harvey and I won thousands of dollars as partners. We would go to Phoenix and play for big money. In one ten day period we won over $10,000. I am not sure that Harvey ever understood all the bets.”
Eddie played in the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior Amateur. He loves telling stories about playing practice rounds with Charlie Sifford at the Senior Open at Siota CC in Columbus, Ohio. Sifford gave Eddie crap about his golf shoes. “Man you are playing in the U.S. Open, you can’t wear those damn cheap shoes in the Open.”
“I took the courtesy car to town and bought me some FootJoys. The next day Sifford said, ‘What are you doing playing those Pinnacle balls? This is the Open.’ The next day I was playing Titleist.”
Over the past 50 years, Manderville has played in most of the MGA Golf Championships. During that time “Fast Eddie” has had eleven hole-in-ones, including back-to-back aces on numbers 7 and 8 at the Wirth Par 3 course.
One thing is sure, even at age 85, you DO NOT want to play “Fast Eddie” for money. I have known Eddie Manderville for almost 45 years. I am proud to call him a friend.
October 10, 2019–(Golfchannel)
The 18-man field for the upcoming Hero World Challenge is nearly finalized and will include a lot of red, white and blue.
Tournament officials have announced the first 16 participants in the event at Albany in the Bahamas, and the list includes 14 Americans headlined by tournament host and reigning Masters champ Tiger Woods.
Joining Woods in the Bahamas will be seven of the eight players who have already automatically qualified for the U.S. Presidents Cup team that he will captain the following week: Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar and Bryson DeChambeau. The only qualifier who won’t be in the field is world No. 1 Brooks Koepka.
The rest of the field was filled out based on the Official World Golf Ranking and includes several players who hope to be in the mix for Woods’ four captain’s picks, which will be announced Nov. 4: Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner and reigning U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland. The only two international participants are Justin Rose, who has a residence at Albany, and defending champ Jon Rahm.
Exemptions for the final two spots in the field will be announced at a later date. This year’s event will be played Dec. 4-7, with the final round finishing on Saturday to accommodate travel to Australia for the Presidents Cup.
The Black Knight, Gary Player, surrounded by the guests at his Spirit of Golf and Giving fundraiser at GlenArbor Golf Club, Bedford Hills, NY. (photo: GaryPlayer.com)
BY AAGD STAFF — (October 10, 2019)
Long Drive Champion Troy Mullins was spotted with other golf legends and rising stars at the Spirit of Golf & Giving 2019 Berenberg Gary Player Invitational (October 8, 2019). Some of the greatest in golf came together to raise $114,000 for The Player Foundation. A total field of 72 professional golfers and business leaders took on the picturesque and challenging Gary Player-designed GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, NY, to compete for the prestigious Baobab Tree Trophy.
LPGA player Cheyenne Woods take a selfie with the Black Knight, Gary Player. (photo: GaryPlayer.com)
Among the all-star field were 14 Major Champions, 6 Ryder Cup stars and a total of 32 stars from the Champions, PGA, LPGA and LPGA European tours. The team led by tournament host Gary Player and LPGA European Tour star Azahara Muñoz emerged victorious in a sudden-death playoff to take home the iconic trophy.
Read more at https://garyplayer.com/golf-legends-and-rising-stars-come-together-in-the-spirit-of-golf-giving-at-2019-berenberg-gary-player-invitational/
Quincy Heard, PGA
MONTGOMERY, Ala. | October 10, 2019
The Alabama State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the hiring of Quincy Heard, PGA to lead the golf programs Thursday morning.
Heard comes back to Montgomery after serving on the West Coast, teaching the game of golf after being lead to the west coast by the US Navy. His first station was in San Diego, but his ship was stationed in the dry docks at Swan Island in Portland where he returned after his service was complete.
He started his golf career in Player Services at Langdon Farms GC in Aurora (Ore.), and with the encouragement of PGA Professional Robert M. Clark Sr., he was working as an Assistant Golf Professional within three months. Robert Clark Sr., will serve as Heard’s Assistant Coach, wherein now, two African American men are leading Alabama State University’s golf program.
Heard entered the PGA of America in 1998 as a Novice with no experience in golf and after years of hard work and dedication, he passed the PAT in 2001 and entered the Golf Professional Training Program (now the PGA Professional Golf Management Program) the following year.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: CBS Sports Televised Special To Feature Black PGA Professionals: Quincy Heard and Sherri PlaHeard was elected to PGA membership in 2006, and promoted to Executive Director for PYGA, which was also designated as a First Tee program. In 2011, he, along with Kelly Hartley and Denise Shorthouse, created Summit Golf Foundation (SGF) that is designed to equip and challenge young people, particularly youth in the foster care system, to excel in life. The directors and volunteers at SGF teach positive character traits along with golf skills and course etiquette to youth in the greater Vancouver/Portland metro area.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Perseverance: The Quincy R. Heard StoryIn 2012, Quincy took on the added responsibilities of the Men’s and Women’s Head Golf Coach at Warner Pacific College. At the end of 2016, Quincy was selected for the PGA LEAD Class of 2017-18, along with Robyn Lorain.
(October 10, 2019)
Travel insurance can be valuable if you would lose a lot of money in nonrefundable deposits if you had to cancel your trip. More important, it can pay for medical evacuation–which is expensive and usually isn’t covered by health insurance–if you are sick or injured while traveling and need to be transported.
Travel policies often cost 4% to 10% of your total trip cost, says Steven Benna, of Squaremouth . com, where you can compare policies. Most policies will reimburse you for nonrefundable deposits if you must cancel or interrupt your trip because of weather or because you or a family member becomes ill. (Most policies won’t cover preexisting health conditions that were diagnosed or had changed typically within 60 to 180 days before you bought the insurance.)
You will be traveling to the Caribbean during hurricane season, so review the storm coverage. Many policies pay if flights are grounded for 24 hours or if the hotel is uninhabitable. If you want to play it safer, you can find insurers that will reimburse you if a hurricane warning is issued within 24 or 48 hours of your trip, says Julie Loffredi, of InsureMyTrip . com, which allows you to compare policies.
Squaremouth recommends buying $100,000 in medical evacuation coverage for international trips, or $250,000 if you’re going on a cruise or to a remote spot.
(SOURCE: TCA)
Let a natural method help you care for your nasal passages. The Navage Nasal Care System is a simple, inexpensive treatment that relieves the symptoms of a variety of sinus conditions, reduces the use of medical resources, and could help minimize antibiotic resistance. The system offers all-natural relief from allergies and sinus congestion without drugs! The Navage Nasal Care System provides nasal irrigation that is clinically proven to relieve sinus congestion safely and effectively. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, about 50 million people in North America suffer from chronic sinusitis, says the Navage website. Naväge sets the new standard for personal nasal care with its exceptional convenience, consistency, and ease of use.
Nose sprays and pills are not always the best means for handling nasal problems such as post nasal drip, dryness, and clogged passageways, and these items mostly provide only momentary relief. And, squeeze bottle, can sometimes just clog the nasal passages even more. When allergies and chronic sinusitis persist and you need quick relief from the pressure and congestion, Navage Nasal Care System is available for use. It is easy to assemble, and easy to clean.
Yes, something as simple as flushing salt water through nasal passages can be very effective and help relieve a broad array of problems.
The Navage Starter Bundle includes a Nose Cleaner and 18 SaltPods for $89.95. Additional saltPod packs and accessories like a countertop caddy, nose pillows, upper/lower tank, battery door, countertop caddy, nasal dock and cleaning swap, a travel case, and replacement parts are available for order. Instructions are included and an owner’s manual is available online. There is a 30-Day, Zero Risk Trial and Return policy and video support along with a limited, one-year warranty on parts and labor. The system can be registered online.
(October 8, 2019)–PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (Oct. 8, 2019) – On this date in 1954, Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former Army General and war hero, adopted a proclamation calling upon all U.S. citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, as Veterans Day:
“In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all Veterans, all Veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose [to honor American Veterans of all wars].”– Pres. Eisenhower
In tribute to that declaration and in honor of our nation’s Veterans, PGA Foundation Inc. d/b/a/ PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, has announced that Sunday, Nov. 11—Veterans Day— will serve as the 3rd Annual PGA National Day of HOPE. This nationwide Veterans celebration has two goals: Commemorate our nation’s heroes who protect our freedom; and raise awareness and support for PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the signature military program for PGA REACH.
In support of this year’s PGA National Day of HOPE activities, PGA REACH has launched a campaign on the CrowdRise platform, which also allows for individuals and organizations to create their own fundraising events.
Through CrowdRise, donors can support PGA HOPE locally, nationally or create their own campaign all together. In the inaugural year of the PGA National Day of HOPE CrowdRise platform, PGA HOPE Carolinas, PGA HOPE South Florida, PGA HOPE Southern Texas and GOLFTEC are all conducting their PGA HOPE fundraising efforts within the platform. To learn more about the special events and contribute, visit the CrowdRise campaign page: crowdrise.com/pganationaldayofhope.
“PGA National Day of HOPE continues to evolve and gain momentum every year,” said PGA REACH Senior Director Ryan Cannon. “This new fundraising platform is something we can build on and provides donors with options on how they would like to support the PGA HOPE program.”
PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. The program features a six-to-eight week instructional golf clinic, followed by a graduation ceremony and on-course golfing opportunities.
Fully funded by PGA REACH, PGA HOPE is offered at NO COST to military Veterans. Led by PGA Professionals, PGA HOPE has helped thousands of Veterans assimilate back into their communities through the social interaction the game of golf provides.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Women of Color Golf Breaking Barriers in Golf DiversityThe following initiatives are currently part of the PGA National Day of HOPE CrowdRise platform:
• The inaugural PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week will take place Oct. 25-28, at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. A total of 20 Veterans who have graduated from local PGA HOPE programs will participate in the four-day program, which provides advanced golf instruction and wellness training.
• GOLFTEC, a leading golf instruction and club-fitting company with more than 200 retail locations worldwide, is supporting PGA REACH, by offering one complimentary lesson or TECFIT club fitting session to anyone who first makes a small donation to PGA HOPE.
• PGA HOPE Carolinas, PGA HOPE South Florida and PGA HOPE Southern Texas are also using the PGA National Day of HOPE CrowdRise platform for their own peer-to-peer fundraising efforts to support PGA HOPE within their respective Section.
For more information on the PGA National Day of HOPE CrowdRise Campaign, make a donation or to start your own fundraising initiative, visit: crowdrise.com/pganationaldayofhope.
For more information on PGA HOPE, visit pgareach.org.
About PGA REACH
PGA Foundation Inc. d/b/a/ PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA REACH is to positively impact the lives of youth, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf. For more information on PGA REACH, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Twitter, and find us on Facebook.