Northern Trust Open launches TICKETS Fore CHARITY

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Tournament officials at the Northern Trust Open have extended charitable organizations in the Los Angeles area the opportunity to participate in TICKETS Fore CHARITY, an innovative fundraising platform designed to improve the quality of life in communities where PGA TOUR events are held. The new program will offer registered 501 (c)(3) organizations a chance to raise funds by promoting tickets sales to the historic Northern Trust Open, to be held February 1-7 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

TICKETS Fore CHARITY enables participating charities to receive contributions based on the number of tickets sold in their name. One-hundred percent of net proceeds from tickets purchased through the program will go to charity -- 75 percent to the charity promoting the tickets and 25 percent to the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce Charity Foundation, which enriches the lives of young professionals in the greater Los Angeles area and to develop strong corporate, civic and nonprofit leaders through professional growth, leadership development, personal enrichment and community involvement.

Participating charities will also have the opportunity to receive matching grants from tournament sponsor Northern Trust. Northern Trust added a charity challenge bonus pool of up to $50,000 and includes three separate contests, awarding between $15,000 and $20,000 to the charities that sell the largest dollar amount of tickets during specified dates from the program's inception through January 31, 2010.

"The Northern Trust Open is proud to continue its relationship with the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce Charity Foundation, and we are delighted that proceeds from our tournament will continue to support their various youth-focused programs," said Northern Trust Open Executive Director Jerry West. "We're excited to broaden the scope of the tournament's charitable contributions to include more non-profit organizations in Southern California through TICKETS Fore CHARITY and help these organizations in their goal of improving lives throughout our communities."

Non-profit organizations interested in participating in the TICKETS Fore CHARITY program may contact Katy Pradella in the tournament office at (310) 838-3098. Prices range from $35 for a daily grounds ticket to $100 for a weekly grounds ticket.

What started as the Los Angeles Open is now the Northern Trust Open, one of the longest-running tournaments on the PGA TOUR. Debuting in 1926 at Los Angeles Country Club, the event had been staged at various courses throughout the Los Angeles area before permanently settling at Riviera Country Club in 1973. Outside of the major championships, the Northern Trust Open is the fourth-oldest event on TOUR, trailing only the BMW Championship, the Canadian Open and the Valero Texas Open.