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PCCC gifts $900,145 to Ozarks children’s charities

PCCC-photo

The Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, part of the PGA Tour’s Web.com Tour, is gifting $900,145 to 44 Ozarks-area children’s charities. Additionally, The Arc of the Ozarks has been named the Charity of the Year by the PGA Web.com Tour.

PCCC Executive Director Jerald Andrews announced both major news items during the annual Celebration of Sharing presented by the McQueary Family on Tuesday at Highland Springs Country Club.

The $900,145 is the second-largest gift in the tournament’s 26-year history. It also brings the overall total to $12,806,908. The PCCC will distribute all but $50,000, with the remaining monies to go toward a grant program through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

The PCCC supports numerous causes across the Ozarks. Charities of this year’s PCCC provide for Ozarks-area children and families facing enormous financial and medical challenges.

“The Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper has been a major supporter of local charities for 26 years. We cannot enjoy success, however, without help from across the Ozarks and beyond – from Price Cutter Supermarkets, to numerous sponsors, volunteers and staff in addition to the PGA’s Web.com Tour,” Andrews said. “It is truly a team and community effort.”

The Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper is one of only four original Web.com Tour stops dating to the tour’s inaugural 1990 season. Andrews has kept the tournament growing since the Hammons Foundation named him official executive director in 1997. Price Cutter Supermarkets have served as the presenting or title sponsor now for 18 years.

“We are honored and very blessed to be able to do this for an 18th year,” said Rob Marsh, Vice President of Operations for Price Cutter Supermarkets. “We love how it gives back to the community. We love how the money stays local and benefits the children’s charities around the area. We thank everyone for their participation.”

The money greatly helps the Children’s Smile Center, said its Executive Director, Jackie Barger. The center provides dental care to thousands of low-income kids and families in order to fill in what Medicaid does not cover.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the Price Cutter Charity Championship. It’s one of our main fundraisers of the year,” Barger said. “We are proud to have volunteers from our staff who are involved in the tournament, and we look forward to our on-going involvement in every aspect of the tournament. Thank you so much to the Price Cutter Charity Championship.”

Among other charities to benefit is the Champion Athletes of the Ozarks, which provides education, life skills and programs for children and adults with disabilities. The financial aspect is tremendous, but the PCCC allows the students to use their skills during tournament week, said its Executive Director, Susan Miles.

“The Price Cutter tournament is huge for our organization,” Miles said. “The tournament gives our individuals a chance to work – a chance to apply all the things they learned in classes. We’re packing. We’re sorting. We’re counting.”

If lined up, the 12.8 million dollar bills would stretch more than 1,200 miles, or from Springfield to PGA Tour headquarters in Florida, said Andy Stewart, a financial adviser of Morgan Stanley and PCCC sponsor.

“Someone once told me, when you get ahead in life, you have a responsibility to reach down and pull someone up to your level,” Stewart said. “Our tournament helps everyone reach a new level.”

WEB.COM TOUR CHARITY OF THE YEAR

The Arc of the Ozarks, which strives to improve the lives of the developmentally disabled, was named the PGA Web.com Tour Charity of the Year. In honor of the charity’s outreach and impact, the Web.com Tour will donate $30,000 to The Arc of the Ozarks.

“With charity serving as the backbone of the Web.com Tour, there is arguably no honor more prestigious than the Charity of the Year Award,” said Web.com Tour President Bill Calfee. “The Arc of the Ozarks, in conjunction with the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, has helped countless individuals and families throughout Missouri in over 50 years of effort and dedication.”

The nonprofit applies its PCCC dollars to its summer program.

“It means so much to us. This is a huge amount of money for us,” said Danielle Wise, Development Director of The Arc of the Ozarks who did not learn of the award until it was announced Tuesday afternoon at the Celebration of Sharing at Highland Springs Country Club. “The Arc of the Ozarks. “To be a part of (the PCCC) let alone and then, to be honored like this is such a wonderful thing.”

The Arc of the Ozarks delivered a number of ways as the Web.com Tour’s top charity for 2015, including:

  • Strategic partnership with the event, including cross-promotion and volunteer support.
  • Use of funds, generated in part by the local tournament, towards the charitable mission of the organization.

Since its inception in 1964, The Arc of the Ozarks has made a huge impact. The nonprofit has put forth a number of live, work, play and learn services which impact residential, employment, community integration, education and recreation, dual diagnosis services and autism services throughout southwest Missouri. The funds from the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper directly benefit the 700 individuals helped each month at the Arc of the Ozarks.

This year’s tournament enjoyed success thanks to sponsors supporting numerous events from mid-July to mid-September. They included: almost a dozen pro-ams; hole sponsorships, skyboxes and hospitality tents to name a few; as well as sweepstakes programs for a 2015 Corvette Stingray and a 2015 Ford Mustang.

The tournament also generated support by connecting with those who rarely play or follow golf. Among events were the Jared Enterprises Kids Fun Day & Golf Clinic, the Michele Kiser Women’s Golf Clinic and Fashion Show, the Price Cutter Charity Championship Golf Ball & Charity Auction, the Habitat Home Run and Water Balloon Fight as well as the second annual Harvest Moon Festival, a culinary-themed event and auction in mid-September. Throughout the summer, Price Cutter Supermarkets’ employees in the Springfield area also wore red T-shirts emblazoned with the PCCC logo.

Dawie Van Der Walt won this year’s PCCC with a 23-under 265 and was among 50 Web.com Tour players to earn a PGA Tour card for next season. He finished No. 2 overall in the season standings behind Patrick Kizzire.

TUESDAY’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • The dates for the 2016 event were announced.  Tournament activities will be held from Aug. 5 through Aug. 15 with the actual tournament on Aug. 11-14 at Highland Springs Country Club.
  • Shawn Gott was awarded the Judy Weekley Volunteer of the Year Award, which is presented each year to a volunteer that exceeds all expectations and goes above and beyond what is asked of them. Shawn was instrumental in staging and set-up of the course, especially in staging of vehicles, boats and amenities for the skyboxes.
  • In addition to the charitable distributions, the tournament has established a $50,000 fund with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. It is the second consecutive year for this program. A year ago, the tournament created a special Price Cutter Charities Grant Fund. Now, each of the 44 charities will be able to apply for an additional gift from this fund. It is the intent that these monies will be used to address critical needs of the youth of our community through the charities.