Charities cash in with Price Cutter tournament funds

As professional golfer Patrick Sheehan shot 19-under par to win $85,500 of the $475,000 Price Cutter Charity Championship purse, several local nonprofit organizations also were sinking money into their pockets.

Tournament Executive Director Jerald Andrews predicts a record-breaking year for the more than 30 local charities involved, but the final dollar amount raised won't be announced until the money is distributed Nov. 26 at a Highland Springs luncheon.

In past years, the total dollars raised for children's charities exceeded the purse amount, including last year's $503,000, and the record $537,000 raised in 2000.

"We anticipate it being a record amount," Andrews said, adding that last year's rain-shortened and -soaked tournament should have generated around $575,000. Based on those predictions, this year's tournament figures may reach nearly $600,000.

The tournament was part of the Buy.Com Tour and was held July 25-28 at Highland Springs Country Club.

Giving back

The amount of money issued to each charity is based on the number of years that charity has been involved and to what extent it participates, Andrews said.

"We give any children's related charity an opportunity to get involved," he said. "The amount of support they're going to receive from the tournament will have a direct correlation to how they get involved and what they contribute."

Andrews said forms of involvement are volunteering, public relations activity to promote the tournament and additional fundraising efforts.

The return on such investment is twofold, according to charity officials involved.

Bonnie Keller, president and chief executive officer of the Ronald McDonald House of the Ozarks, the first charity involved, said that while the financial gains have been great, other benefits are visibility and networking.

Ronald McDonald House, which houses families of hospitalized children, has participated since the tourney first came to Springfield in 1989 when it was called The Ben Hogan Tour; it was the only charity that year. Keller credits then-Highland Springs golf pro Perry Leslie and several local McDonald's owner/operators for forming the partnership.

"No one knew what it was going to be. It was a brand new tour, a brand new idea," Keller said.

"It was kind of a leap of faith by everyone involved."

The Springfield stop ended up raising more money for charity than any tournament on the tour that year. Last year's $503,000 was the largest single-tournament revenue and represented 16 percent of the entire 28-stop tour.

In 12 years Ronald McDonald House has received $479,920 from the tournament proceeds. Last year, it received $55,700, which is close to a quarter of its $250,000 operating budget.

Andrews expects Ronald McDonald House to get nearly $60,000 this year. Others in that same donation range are A Sporting Chance, Boys & Girls Club of Springfield and Special Olympics.

"To have the opportunity to participate in the beginning has just made such a difference for us," Keller said. "It's a really a big part of who we are now."

Keller serves as the tournament's volunteer chairperson.

First impression

The Developmental Center of the Ozarks just completed its first year of participation, and Public Relations Director Marci Bowling said exposure benefits already have been realized.

"It's too early to tell monetarily, but I think as an organization we benefit from the overall partnership and the overall exposure to everyone who attends the tournament," Bowling said.

She said it's a good way for people to learn about the organization and its functions, which is teaching individuals with developmental disabilities.

To date, the Buy.Com Tour tournament in Springfield has given more than $2.5 million to Ozarks charities, representing 11 percent of the entire $22,572,877 raised on the tour. "That says a lot about the sponsors, the volunteers and about golf fans in general," Andrews said, emphasizing the importance of the volunteers that come out each year.

This year there were 1,153 volunteers, and many of them were from nonprofit organizations. "It couldn't have been done without them," he said.

Tournament involvement also is viewed as a volunteer recruiting tool for participating charities, said Louise Henson, executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Springfield. Henson said relationships formed on the course often lead to adult volunteers acting as mentors to children in her organization.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters received about $25,000 from proceeds last year.

"It's one of those things that pays off in many ways," Henson said.