The PGA TOUR and TOUR Championship announced today that $2.5 million was donated from the 2017 TOUR Championship, with a total of $26 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 First Tee® of Atlanta. The 2018 TOUR Championship will return to East Lake Sept. 19-23 where the top 30 players from the FedExCup standings will vie for the tournament and FedExCup titles at the PGA TOUR’s season-ending event. Perfect for the whole family, the event will offer premier dining, beverage and entertainment options in addition to watching top athletes compete at the finale event.
PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan made the charity announcement at Charles R. Drew Charter School, which has served as an integral part of the East Lake Foundation’s neighborhood revitalization strategy since it opened in 2000. In 2017, Drew Charter School graduated its inaugural senior class, providing a bookend to the cradle-to-college pipeline in the East Lake community. 100% of the seniors graduated on time and were accepted to college.
“Helping others is in the DNA of what we do at the PGA TOUR, and we’re proud of the role the TOUR Championship plays in Atlanta as the primary fundraiser for the East Lake Foundation,” Monahan said. “Today’s announcement of $2.5 million is a celebration of the TOUR Championship’s continued commitment to the East Lake community, which has become a community where every child – and every family – has a chance to succeed. Our thanks to Proud Partners Coca-Cola and Southern Company for their tremendous support of the TOUR Championship and their commitment to charitable giving.”
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 age 3 through grade 12; the East Lake Family YMCA; Sheltering Arms East Lake, the 9-hole public Charlie Yates Golf Course, East Lake Golf Club and Publix.
While the facilities in East Lake and at Drew Charter School are beautiful, it’s what’s happening inside them that is truly impressive. By creating and funding employment, educational and wellness programs, the Foundation helps families in East Lake break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
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 now serves as a blueprint for a national model of holistic community redevelopment through Purpose Built Communities, established in 2009. Today, there are 17 additional Purpose Built Communities across the country that are successfully creating opportunities for residents, and building strong, economically diverse communities that thrive.
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. East Lake serves as a local chapter of the organization to help young residents learn fundamental lessons in life and golf.
For more information about the TOUR Championship, please visit pgatour.com/tourchampionship or call 404-378-8687.
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 2018 tournament will be played Sept. 19-23. The tournament proudly supports the East Lake Foundation and The First Tee of East Lake (www.eastlakefoundation.org).
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. With 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume, Southern Company serves 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 and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.
