Chrysler tourney delivers $1.26-million to charities
By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
Published January 18, 2005
PALM HARBOR - Vijay Singh was the big winner in October at the Chrysler Championship, but not the only one. Tampa Bay area charities were rewarded Monday with $1.26-million, the proceeds from the 2004 PGA Tour event at the Westin Innisbrook Resort.
The total includes some $700,000 raised through the tournament's Birdies for Charity program, which allows any area nonprofit organization to solicit pledges based on the number of birdies made during the tournament.
"This is our biggest day of the year," said tournament director Gerald Goodman during a luncheon to hand out checks to the various charities and honor more than 800 volunteers. "There is nothing more important than what we are doing here."
With the $1.26-million, the event has raised more than $15-million dating to 1977 and including the years the tournament was known as the JCPenney Classic. In 2000, it became the Tampa Bay Classic, a regular PGA Tour event, and in 2003 it changed to the Chrysler Championship.
Goodman said it wasn't until 2004 that he was totally confident in the tournament's financial situation, which took a hit after the Sept.11, 2001, terrorist attacks that occurred during the week of the tournament. It was canceled that year.
Last year the event awarded more than $766,000 to charity.
The primary beneficiary: Academy Prep in St. Petersburg, which received $200,000 this year. More than 120 other area charities benefited from the Birdies for Charity program, which paid out some $900,000, $200,000 of which came in the form of a bonus pool offered by the tournament. There were 55 charities that shared in the bonus money.
Leading the way was the Rotary Clubs of Tampa Bay, which received $91,000. The Morton Plant Foundation got $64,000.
Having met its goal of $1-million in 2004, the tournament is striving for bigger things this year.
"I challenged our board to achieve a goal this year of $2-million," said Tom Thorn, general chairman of the tournament. "If we can get there, we very well could be the tournament that puts the PGA Tour over $1-billion, which is really extraordinary."
The PGA Tour is touting that it will cross the $1-billion mark in charitable giving this year.
Goodman said one way to reach the $2-million goal will be to expand the Birdies for Charity program, which has grown each of the past four years.
The other way is "to sell more tickets," Goodman said. "The way we bring in money is through ticket sales, corporate sales (and sponsorships) and the pro-am."
