Call it another banner year for the PGA Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, as the tournament gifted $920,352 to 49 Ozarks children’s charities on Tuesday and gained tremendous momentum toward next summer.
The monies were distributed during the PCCC’s annual Celebration of Sharing presented by The McQueary Family at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield. With it, the tournament has gifted $15,590,801 since its inception in 1990 and now turns its attention to a highly anticipated milestone, Year 30 of the PCCC.
“Thank you to all those in southwest Missouri and beyond who threw their support behind this important effort,” said Jerald Andrews, the PCCC’s Executive Director. “None of this would have been possible without corporate sponsorships as well as individuals stepping forward, or our 1,000-person army of volunteers. Best of all, these gifts will help our charities continue to meet their important missions.”
This past year marked the 29th consecutive in which the tournament was hosted by the John Q. Hammons Foundation. Price Cutter Supermarkets has been either a presenting or title sponsor of the tournament for 20 years. Web.com just completed its sixth year of a 10-year agreement with the PGA Tour and, the collective support of those entities, along with that of Highland Springs Country Club, has allowed the PCCC to continue as one of only four original Web.com Tour stops.
“Price Cutter and all its employee owners are proud to be involved in such an incredible event,” said Rob Marsh, Vice President of Operations for Price Cutter Supermarkets. “We have been blessed all 20 years to be able to help each one of these local children’s charities. We love how the money stays local and changes the lives of so many. We thank everyone for their hard work and participation. This is proof of where you shop truly matters.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the impact that the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper has made to charities around the Ozarks,” said Dan Glod, President of the Web.com Tour. “As one of the four original events on the Web.com Tour, the Price Cutter Charity Championship will celebrate its 30th event next year, and this donation is a testament to the continued hard work that Jerald Andrews and his team put into the tournament and the support they receive from the community.”
The tournament received sponsorships from almost 450 entities or individuals, and experienced growth and success in many events such as:
- Honoring Our Heroes Program presented by NRoute Enterprises LLC
- Golf Ball & Charity Auction presented by University Plaza & CPI Technologies
- Harvest Moon Festival presented by Reinhart Foodservice
- Platinum Clubs & Clays Classic presented by USA Mortgage
- Fourteen pro-ams and playing opportunities
- TLC Properties Charity Sweepstakes
- The Ultimate presented by Ridewell Suspensions and Custom Metalcraft
- The Junior Pitch, Chip & Putt Championship presented by B&T Electric, Freedom Bank & Panda Trucking
- Rockin’ Roll Bike & Music Festival benefitting the Music Therapy of the Ozarks
- Diaper Dash & Brunch Bash benefitting the Diaper Bank of the Ozarks
REACTION FROM CHARITY DIRECTORS
Laura Farmer of CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA recruits community volunteers who are trained before being sworn in by a judge and then matched with a Child in foster care – all to mentor and advocate for the child during a challenging time in their life.
“By being involved in the Price Cutter Charity Championship this year, CASA was able to raise awareness about our organization and our need for volunteers, as well as raise funds essential for our program to grow,” Farmer said. “Our vision is to serve every child in foster care in southwest Missouri and, through partnerships like ours with the PCCC, we are confident that we will be able to reach this goal.”
Sharon Alexander of Legal Services of Southern Missouri. LSSM provides free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families. During its 42-year history, it has focused on providing holistic and comprehensive services to achieve safety and create economic and family stability.
“While we assist with an array of civil legal needs, our No. 1 priority is to protect children from abuse and neglect, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and homelessness,” Alexander said. “We chose to become involved with the Price Cutter Tournament as a way to raise funds to leverage our state and federal grants, which require non-governmental dollars as a local match. This opportunity helps us fund eight staff members providing legal assistance and case management services. We feel honored every day to be a part of this wonderful event.”
BUSINESSES WEIGH IN
“The Oasis Hotel is a proud supporter of the Price Cutter Charity Golf Tournament because the tournament benefits our community directly which includes our neighbors, our co-workers, our employees and sometimes our families,” said Missy Handyside, General Manager of the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center. “Last year’s tournament was such a huge success and provided much needed funds to 49 local charities. I’m not sure of another fundraising event that benefits so many local charities at once and it is so touching to watch the different organizations receive their donation during the Celebration of Sharing luncheon each year.
OTHER NEWS & NOTES
Next year’s tournament
Andrews announced next year’s tournament is July 19-29, 2019, with the pros to play July 25-28 at Highland Springs Country Club. Businesses seeking sponsorships, including pro-am teams, should call 417-887-3400.
Judy Weekley Volunteer of the Year
Tournament Chair Sharyn Wagoner presented Janet Rose, David Petiford, Kim Booth and PCCC accountant Dale Witte with the Volunteer of the Year Award during Tuesday’s ceremony. The four process all of the TLC Properties Charity Sweepstakes tickets throughout the summer and up until the afternoon of Championship Sunday.
“These folks work endless hours organizing and distributing sweepstakes tickets to all charities. Then they spend many more hours balancing and recording sold tickets. Keeping 49 charities and 8,000 tickets organized is no small feat,” Wagoner said. “While they are behind the scenes, they are definitely an integral part of this program.”
PGA Tour cards
The PCCC helps determine the Web.com Tour’s 50 graduates to next year’s PGA Tour. Martin Trainer, the 2018 PCCC champion, was among 25 of the most recent PGA Tour card winners who played in this year’s PCCC.
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Contact: Kary Booher, Media Relations, 417-241-1551 or booher@mosportshalloffame.com