STA Education Foundation Partners with Charleston Area Non-Profits
June 18, 2009
Local Charities will Benefit from Golf Championship Ticket Sales
CHARLESTON, SC – June 18, 2009 – The Student Transportation of America (STA) Education Foundation, Host Organization for the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island, announced that to date more than 30 Charleston-area groups have registered to participate in TICKETS Fore CHARITY(TM), an innovative program that invites local non-profit 501c3 organizations and service clubs to sell tickets to this year’s Nationwide Tour Championship tournament and retain 100 percent of the proceeds on ticket sales.
The Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island, offering a $1 million purse as it concludes season-long competition to identify the 25 players who earn PGA TOUR cards for the following season based on the Tour’s final money list, is scheduled for October 22 – 25, 2009 at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, SC.
STA’s business is all about helping kids and our Foundation was created to help fund the higher education opportunities they deserve. This program takes our commitment further to include local charities, said Denis J. Gallagher, chairman of the STA Education Foundation, STA CEO and a Daniel Island resident. Our association with The Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island allows us to expand the reach of the Foundation helping a large number of non-profits that support children and families throughout the Greater Charleston area. We encourage the public to contact one of these local organizations and purchase their tickets as a show of support. They’ll not only be helping a worthy community organization benefit from the sales but they’ll also enjoy watching top-flight championship golf on beautiful Daniel Island as players vie for their PGA cards.
Among the organizations already registered to participate in the program are the East Cooper Community Outreach, The First Tee of Greater Charleston, Coastal Carolina Council Boy Scouts of America, The American Cancer Society, Daniel Island Rotary Club Foundation, and Boys and Girls Clubs of the Trident Area. The STA Education Foundation strongly encourages local Elks, Lions and other service clubs to sign up as well. (See end of release for a full list of organizations and contact numbers.)
The Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island TICKETS Fore CHARITY(TM) initiative is closely modeled after the highly successful Albertson’s Boise Open TICKETS Fore CHARITY(TM) program, which has raised more than $2.4 million for Boise charities since 2001.
The success of this premier golf tournament is built on community support, so we feel that the best way to give back to the Charleston area is through direct charitable donation of 100 percent of the ticket proceeds each charity sells, said Kevin Canning, tournament director for the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island. With the potent combination of world-class golf and our TICKETS Fore CHARITY(TM) partner organizations’ word-of-mouth marketing, we’re confident this event will raise significant funds for a great number of worthy organizations throughout the Lowcountry. We thank the STA Education Foundation for agreeing to include local charities as part of the fundraising efforts.
Interested charitable organizations in the area are still encouraged to participate. To register, please call Margaret Shaw at (843) 849-3154 or e-mail [email protected]. Charities are required to provide 501c3 documentation.
Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island tickets can be purchased as a weekly pass for $30, at a weekly group rate for 10 people for $200, and daily tickets will be available for $10 at the venue during the tournament. Weekly passes will be available beginning June 1st via approved charities participating in the TICKETS Fore CHARITY(TM) program, at NationwideTourChampionship.com, and at the Family Circle Tennis Center ticket office, located at 161 Seven Farms Drive on Daniel Island from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
In addition to the local charities benefiting from direct ticket sales, Gallagher said proceeds of the event also will help the STA Education Foundation extend new college scholarship dollars to deserving high school students in the Greater Charleston area.
The following charities are registered to participate in the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island TICKETS Fore CHARITY(TM) program. For list updates visit www.NationwideTourChampionship.com
Charleston Breast Center 843-266-4917
Goose Creek Rainbow Assembly # 39 &
Palmetto Demolay Assoc. 843-797-7659
Pet Helpers 843-795-1110 x 11
Coastal Carolina Council Boy Scouts of America 843-763-0305
East Cooper Community Outreach 843-849-9220
East Cooper Habitat for Humanity 843-881-2600 x202
The Charleston Catholic School 843-577-4494
Rural Mission, Inc 843-725-9698
Charleston Trident Home Builders Assoc. 843-572-1414
Daniel Island Rotary Foundation 843-224-2306
Junior Achievement 843-708-2406
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society &
nbsp; 843-881-8176
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Trident Area 843-937-6523
National Kidney Foundation 843-799-3870
The First Tee of Greater Charleston 843-352-4513
Big Brothers Big Sisters of CYDC 843-266-5217
Communities in Schools 843-740-6793
COK-SM 8th Grade Fund 843-881-5465
Pointe North Church 843-746-2113
Cannon Street YMCA 843-577-9622
Florence Crittenton Programs of SC 843-722-7526
American Cancer Society 843-744-1922
Montessori Community School of Charleston 843-225-5549
Newspapers in Education 843-937-4831
Buist Academy Foundation 843-856-1820
Camp Happy Days 843-571-4336
Cainhoy Athletic Soccer Club 843-654-2771
ABOUT THE STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF AMERICA EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Student Transportation of America Education Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Student Transportation of America (STA), the fourth largest provider of school bus transportation services in North America. The STA Education Foundation is a 501(c) (3) public charity that focuses the experience of the company and the talents of more than 6,000 employees on advancing educational opportunities available to the students it transports daily in more than 200 school districts in 10 U.S. states and Ontario, Canada. Since its creation in 2003, the Foundation has raised nearly $100,000 and awarded more than 40 scholarships to students who demonstrate academic achievement, community service and leadership. Learn more about STA and its commitment to the community at www.rideSTA.com
ABOUT THE NATIONWIDE TOUR
Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf’s greatest stage. As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, two-thirds of the current PGA TOUR membership played on the Nationwide Tour. Tour alumni have won 236 PGA TOUR titles, including a grand slam and three PLAYERS Championships. Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards and a record purse approaching $19 million will be at stake over the course of 30 events in 2008 concluding with the $1 million Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch. Recognizing the Tour’s growing stature, Nationwide Insurance has renewed its umbrella sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour through 2012. The PGA TOUR, through the efforts of its three tours and their tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers, supports over 2,000 local charities and has surpassed $1 billion in charitable giving. To learn more about the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visit www.PGATOUR.com.
