Golf pros tee off for PGA Tournament of Charities

Golf clubs throughout Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties are gearing up to raise money for charity in the 28th Annual PGA Tournament of Charities, one of the area’s largest pro-amateur golf tournaments. This year, in addition to community support, Coors Light will donate $5000 to benefit our charities.

Club golf professionals will begin receiving materials to start scheduling birdie-athons or other activities during the next three months to benefi t The Vince Smith Center of Southwest Florida Addiction Services, PGA Art Soderholm Scholarship Fund, Junior Golf, Florida Gulf Coast University Men’s-Ladies’ Golf Teams and PGM Program. The PGA-supported golf tournament is among the areas most successful. In its 27-year history, $1,483,474 has been raised for charity.

Concluding the fund-raising will be the grand tournament April 7, 2008 at Pelican Preserve Golf Club in Fort Myers, featuring foursomes from more than 30 participating clubs. Last year Bonita Bay led all fundraisers with donations of $18,300.

The Vince Smith Center, which treats teens in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties with drug and alcohol abuse problems, was named by the Southwest Chapter of the PGA in 1991 to honor the late Vince Smith, former News-Press golf writer and a founding board member of SWFAS.

Since opening, more than 350 youngsters in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties have started on the road to recovery at The Vince Smith Center. The PGA-Coors Light Tournament of Charities is the largest single fund raiser of the year for SWFAS.

“We’re encouraging everyone to support their golf professional and become involved in the PGA’s long tradition of helping those who most need it in our community,” said local PGA Past President and Tournament Chairman, Tom Wildenhaus of Olde Florida Golf Club. “Our goal here is to play for as many birdies as possible to raise as much money as we can for The Vince Smith Center, PGA Scholarship Fund, Junior Golf, Florida Gulf Coast University Men’s -Ladies’ Golf Teams and PGM Program.”

Club professionals will be encouraging members to participate in club activities to raise funds for the selected charities. Professionals will be conducting tournaments and birdie-a-thons, in which members make pledges of $1 or more for each birdie made by the club’s professionals on a given day. For more information or to make a pledge or donation for one or all of the charities, contact your local Golf Professional or Kelly Leonard at 561-9911.