E-Newsletter

Charitable Impact

Sent on Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Presidents Cup will have a direct impact on regional charities such as The First Tee of Central Ohio, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Fore Hope.

The First Tee of Central Ohio

The First Tee of Central Ohio is affiliated with Morty’s Kids, a children’s golf initiative started in 1998 in Columbus by retired bank executive Bob Morton. More than 750 young people participated in the chapter’s first summer of programming at Blacklick Woods, and fall programs are underway. The Mission of The First Tee of Central Ohio is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. The chapter has plans to extend programs to neighboring counties in the coming years.

The First Tee participants are the flag and trophy bearers for the Opening Ceremony; they serve as standard bearers on the course during matches; they are providing volunteers to work concessions and the Citi presents FanVision kiosks, and the organization will receive donations as part of the sales’ proceeds; The First Tee of Central Ohio will also benefit from a fund-raising luncheon on Tuesday, October 1.

The fundraising luncheon, which will be held in the Muirfield Village Golf Club Pavilion, will include remarks from Jack Nicklaus, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem and The First Tee CEO Joe Louis Barrow, Jr.

In celebration of Citi’s global partnership with The Presidents Cup, Citi will provide outreach to The First Tee of Central Ohio through an exclusive event with U.S. Team Captain’s Assistant Davis Love III. Love will speak with 20-30 members of The First Tee about his career, work ethic, dedication and teamwork around his six-time participation in The Presidents Cup.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Presidents Cup Opening Ceremony – International Festival and Rascal Flatts Concert

For the first time in event history, The Presidents Cup is hosting an off-site, open-to-the-public Opening Ceremony, featuring an international festival and concert by Grammy Award-winning group Rascal Flatts. The celebration will be held at the Columbus Commons in Columbus, Ohio, located downtown at 160 South High Street, with an international food and entertainment festival from 5-7:15 p.m.; Opening Ceremony from 7:15-8:30 p.m.; and a concert by Rascal Flatts (two of three members hail from Columbus), followed by fireworks, from 8:30-9:30 p.m.

A portion of the net proceeds from Opening Ceremony tickets (which sold out in two weeks) will benefit Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Fore Hope

Headquartered in central Ohio, Fore Hope's mission is transforming lives through therapeutic golf since 1989.  Fore Hope’s organization was one of the first of its kind to provide a therapeutic approach to golf by creating a program for persons of all ages, disabilities and economic backgrounds, while assisting them with their cognitive, emotional, physical and social development.

Fore Hope’s fall fundraiser, a champagne breakfast, will feature a keynote from Major Dan Rooney, president of Folds of Honor Foundation along with one-day practice round tickets for Wednesday to The Presidents Cup.  This year’s supporting sponsor is OhioHealth. Friends of Fore Hope Sponsors include Big Lots, Delta Dental of Ohio, Fifth Third Bank, iHammer Technologies, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Cali and Richard Smith III (Hillsdale Fund).

For more information about The Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR charitable initiatives, click here.