The PGA TOUR and TOUR Championship announced today that just over $3 million was donated from the 2018 TOUR Championship – a tournament record – with more than $29 million invested in local nonprofits since the event was first staged at East Lake Golf Club in 1998. Proceeds from the tournament primarily benefit the East Lake Foundation and other local nonprofits including, the Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, and The First Tee® of Atlanta.
The TOUR Championship will return to East Lake one month earlier on Aug. 21-25, 2019. The top 30 players from the FedExCup standings will vie for the FedExCup title at the PGA TOUR’s season-ending event. With something for everyone at the tournament, fans will be treated to premium dining, beverage and entertainment options in addition to watching the top players in the world compete.
The TOUR Championship made the announcement during the Tournament’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Party, which was postponed from its traditional date during tournament week due to the effects from Hurricane Florence.
“After what was a historic conclusion to the 2018 TOUR Championship, it is only fitting that today’s charitable donation of just over $3 million from the event makes history of its own as the largest in tournament history,” said Executive Director Allison Fillmore. “With the addition of the Grove Park Foundation and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta as beneficiaries this past August, this donation is not only a celebration of the TOUR Championship’s continued commitment to the East Lake community, but also a step toward expanding that commitment throughout the Greater Atlanta area.”
Founded in 1995, the East Lake Foundation was formed to revitalize a suffering inner city neighborhood into a vibrant community where all residents can thrive. The East Lake revitalization includes, The Villages of East Lake mixed-income apartment homes; Charles R. Drew Charter School, serving more than 1,800 children from Pre-K through grade 12; the East Lake Family YMCA; Sheltering Arms East Lake, the 9-hole public Charlie Yates Golf Course, and East Lake Golf Club.
Hope is building in East Lake. Violent crime has been cut 97 percent since 1995, while school test scores and property values have surged. The success of the East Lake Initiative serves as a blueprint for a national model of holistic community redevelopment through Purpose Built Communities, established in 2009. Today, there are 19 additional Purpose Built Communities across the country and in Atlanta’s Grove Park neighborhood that are successfully creating opportunities for residents, and building strong, economically diverse communities that thrive.
In addition to the East Lake Foundation that has been supported by the TOUR Championship since it was first staged at East Lake Golf Club since 1998, the TOUR Championship now supports both the Grove Park Foundation and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, which will allow the TOUR Championship to connect more communities and organizations engaged in holistic community revitalization to each other and to one of the greatest annual sporting events in Atlanta.
”We are incredibly grateful for the partnership and continued financial support from the TOUR Championship and its sponsors,” said Daniel J. Shoy, Jr., President and CEO of the East Lake Foundation. “The increased focus on providing an enhanced fan experience and the expanded philanthropic impact resulted in the Atlanta community embracing the TOUR Championship like never before. It also resulted in a record-setting donation that the East Lake Foundation is thrilled to share with its fellow Purpose Built Communities partner organizations – Grove Park Foundation and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta.”
All three organizations are working to create healthy, equitable and vibrant neighborhoods by providing high quality education for economically disadvantaged children and comprehensive support for families.
The TOUR Championship’s donation will also benefit The First Tee, an international youth development organization designed 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 First Tee® of East Lake serves as a local chapter of the organization to help young residents learn fundamental lessons in life and golf.
Tickets to the 2019 TOUR Championship are currently available for purchase at TOURChampionship.com/tickets. As a reminder to all fans, youth 18 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
For more information about the TOUR Championship, please visit TOURChampionship.com. Fans are encouraged to follow the TOUR Championship on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About the TOUR Championship
The top 30 players on FedExCup Points List after the BMW Championship qualify for the TOUR Championship, the finale of the FedExCup Playoffs. FedExCup points are reset prior to the TOUR Championship, ensuring a real shootout as all 30 players in the field will have a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup with a victory at the event. The TOUR Championship is annually contested at Atlanta’s renowned East Lake Golf Club, the formative home of the
legendary Bobby Jones. The 2019 tournament will be played Aug. 21-25. The tournament proudly supports the East Lake Foundation, the Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and The First Tee® of Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Company and the Southern Company are the exclusive Proud Partners of the TOUR Championship.
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and nearly 3,900 beverage choices. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s portfolio features 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options. These brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR and presenter of the Payne Stewart Award. Southern Company is America’s premier energy company, with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America’s energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among the top energy companies in Fortune’s annual World’s Most Admired Electric
