THE PLAYERS Giving Back: Showcase of Charities
November is "Giving Back Month" for THE PLAYERS Championship, in which the tournament will use select dates throughout the month to highlight how the millions of dollars raised by the event in 2009 will benefit Northeast Florida charities. Here are a few of the charities that benefit from THE PLAYERS:
METRO KIDS KONNECTION
As part of the PGA TOUR's support of United We Serve, a nationwide service initiative introduced by the White House earlier this year, PGA TOUR employees adopted Metro Kids Konnection. This program provides a safe environment that fosters educational and social growth for the at-risk children of Cleveland Arms Apartments. This past summer, the PGA TOUR dedicated its Summer Service Project to Metro Kids Konnection through weekly tutoring and lunches. TOUR employees dedicated their time towards helping children like Rudeisha, who during the last school year was frequently in trouble and earned extremely poor grades. However, through the tutoring and mentoring of the PGA TOUR staff and Metro Kids Konnection, Rudeisha's grades earned her honor roll status this fall and she has joined the school's volleyball team to avoid getting into any more trouble.
At the end of the summer, TOUR employees and interns held a festival for the children of Cleveland Arms. This festival included games, arts and crafts and a 50-foot inflatable water slide. In addition, to prepare the children for their upcoming school year, PGA TOUR donated backpacks filled with school supplies to all of the 130 children participating in the program.
To further its dedication to Metro Kids Konnection, THE PLAYERS recently awarded the program with a grant to purchase 12 new computers with associated hardware and software. THE PLAYERS and PGA TOUR hope that, through the support of Metro Kids Konnection, the program can grow and bring even more success to the children of Cleveland Arms Apartments.
DREAMS COME TRUE
Founded in 1984, Dreams Come True devotes its services to fulfilling the dreams of children who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and either live or are treated in Northeast Florida or Southeast Georgia. The first dream was fulfilled at THE PLAYERS for a 17-year-old Cystic Fibrosis patient, George Lee. George's wish was to play with his favorite TOUR player, Fred Couples, in the pro-am. Fred gave the young man his driver after the event and a year later when George passed away, he was buried with his lucky driver from Fred.
In honor of the 25 years that Dreams Come True has served the community, THE PLAYERS fulfilled the organizations 2,500th dream for Zach Ruby. On Nov. 2, PLAYERS volunteers and staff visited Zach and his family for unveiling of his dream -- a Club Penguin-themed bedroom. Not only did Zach receive priceless artifacts from his beloved Disney show, THE PLAYERS brought him a Tiger Woods bobble head doll to accompany all of his penguins for his new bedroom.
Zach also loves the Florida Gators, and he received a surprise visit from Tim Tebow's father, Bob. Mr. Tebow brought Zach, who was dressed in his Florida Gator No. 15 (Tebow's number) jersey, a signed football from Tim.
CITY RESCUE MISSION
Due to the current economy, companies are continually scaling back their staff and diminishing the opportunity for those in need to obtain a steady job. However, organizations such as City Rescue Mission work towards enhancing employment opportunity for those in need in the Jacksonville community.
Through a 2009 grant, THE PLAYERS Championship is sponsoring City Rescue Mission's New Day Program. This initiative works towards helping its clients obtain a steady job, despite their current circumstances. The program is geared towards identifying skills, talents and abilities, charting a career path, building self-esteem, certification training and job placement.
City Rescue Mission's New Day Program will help applicants like a young man named Keith, who came to City Rescue Mission in September, 2008.
Keith arrived at City Rescue mission battling addiction and has since joined City Rescue Mission's LifeBuilder's program, which has turned his life around. Through the program he was able to obtain his GED and now through THE PLAYERS sponsored New Day Program, Keith will have the opportunity to make his dream of joining the hospitality industry.
VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE
Volunteers in Medicine is an extraordinary organization, located in downtown Jacksonville, where the uninsured and their family can receive free medical care from the top physicians and medical assistants in Jacksonville. The staff dedicates their time to help those who can't afford healthcare, free of cost.
The largest expense that Volunteers in Medicine incurs is through fulfilling prescription medication. Through a 2009 grant, THE PLAYERS Championship is proud to support by donating funds to offset their main expense.
On Nov. 2, tournament volunteers and PGA TOUR staff visited the Volunteers in Medicine office to deliver a grant and meet those personally impacted by this organization.
THE PLAYERS group had the chance to meet with former patients, Paula and Jerry Mills. Through the services at Volunteers in Medicine, both Paula and Jerry were diagnosed with different forms of cancer and were able to receive treatment. Without these services, there is a likely chance that neither would have discovered their cancer. Now, they are cancer-free.
BEACHES EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE MINISTRY
THE PLAYERS is proud to support organizations like Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry in Jacksonville Beach. BEAM provides effective and coordinated social outreach to help residents through periods of financial crisis with the goal of assisting them to become functional, economically productive, self-reliant and fulfilled lives.
In light of the current economy, BEAM's services are needed to those in emergency financial situations. THE PLAYERS is grateful and proud to support BEAM, through a 2009, grant to help those in the Jacksonville Beach area with rent and utilities assistance.
Through BEAM, THE PLAYERS has helped Jacksonville Beach residents like Melissa Holton. A single mother, her work hours have slowly been cut over the last couple of month and this shrinking income has put her behind. Melissa has been desperately looking for a second job to cover her expenses, but has not been successful.
Through the grant by THE PLAYERS, BEAM was able to assist her with her Beaches Energy Services bill and her rent. In addition, BEAM provided her family with food.
MALIVAI WASHINGTON KIDS FOUNDATION
THE PLAYERS Championship takes pride in its long-standing relationship with the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation. Success stories such as Marc Atkinson's (read below) are made possible by the dedication that MaliVai has committed to the Jacksonville community. Most recently, THE PLAYERS is proud to support the very successful Tennis & Tutoring program through a Red Coat grant awarded this Fall in hopes of more success stories like Marc's.
Marc Atkinson, a junior at Florida A&M in Tallahassee, is a MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation success story. Marc first started participating in the Tennis & Tutoring program in Durkeeville, Fla., in 2000 after having just failed the 6th grade, and remained an active member of the program through high school. Marc was the first student to sign up for this fledgling program and maintained a 3.2 or higher GPA during his time in the Foundation.
Marc started participating at the Tennis & Tutoring program as a reserved 13-year-old who knew nothing about tennis and was not focused on his grades. He soon developed a love and passion for the sport, but in order to play he had to keep his grades up.
MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation provided the support system with daily study hall and tutoring sessions as well as character development/life skills classes to compliment the tennis. It was the tennis that drove Marc to succeed however. He knew that tournaments and trips were not going to be in his future if his academics were not on point, so he buckled down in school.
After three years in the Tennis & Tutoring program, Marc moved on to Lee High School. During his time in high school, Marc continued to improve academically as well as with his tennis. The Foundation was there to support and encourage him along the way. Marc became a junior staff member and tennis instructor at the Foundation and continued to participate in programs as a member as well in area tournaments and on his high school team. He played #1 singles and doubles all four years of his high school career and reached the finals of the HS District tournament several years.
While many of his peers were making poor decisions, Marc decided early on that he wanted to go to college. He earned several scholarships during his high school years including a Take Stock in Children Scholarship, MWKF's Student Athlete of the Year and the President's Award -- which has only been awarded three times in MKWF's 13 year history. He is currently a junior and is majoring in sociology. Marc walked on the FAMU Tennis Team and last year received the team's "Most Improved Player" Award.
"When I first started at TnT, I was just a little knucklehead," said Marc. "This program has helped me to stay calm, stay cool and really stay focused on what I want to do in life".
Marc continues to give back to MWKF and comes back during school breaks and summer camp to serve as a role model for our younger kids. The kids love "Coach Marc" and enjoy spending time with him on and off the court.
YOUTH CRISIS CENTER
THE PLAYERS Championship is proud to support the Youth Crisis Center, which has been positively impacting children and young adults since 1974. YCC is Florida's first runaway youth shelter and houses more than 1,600 youth each year from state care or abusive homes.
THE PLAYERS supports the mission of YCC through a 2009 grant that will aid their recently built Touchstone Village with new computers, books and training equipment. THE PLAYERS will continue impacting young lives through organizations like the Youth Crisis Center, which produce success stories like the one below of a young man named Thomas.
In May of 2009, Thomas, then 15 years old, lived with his mother and 19-year-old sister when they were evicted from their apartment. They moved into the home of the mother's boyfriend, who was physically abusive to the children. Thomas' sister soon moved out and her whereabouts are unknown. Thomas remained and continued to be abused.
One day the man threw Thomas down a flight of stairs, so Thomas sought the help of a police officer who brought Thomas to YCC. Thomas remained at the Youth Crisis Center, while his mother and her boyfriend moved and their location is unknown. The YCC then explored to find Thomas' only other living relative, his father. However, Thomas had been told by the mother that he was in prison.
The YCC eventually located the father in Oregon and learned that he was never in prison and had been searching for his son since Thomas was 4 years old. Within 2 days of contact with the father, he flew to Jacksonville to bring Thomas back to Oregon --- on Thomas' 16th birthday. Thomas has kept in contact with YCC and has expressed how happy he is to learn that his father was never in prison, was looking for him and that he loves his new family.
BEACHES WOMEN'S PARTNERSHIP
The Beaches Women's Partnership has become a leading non-profit in the Jacksonville Beach area, dedicated to improving the quality of life for women and families at the beaches. THE PLAYERS is therefore proud to support this organization not only by titling its Circle of Friends luncheon on Dec. 3, but recently awarded the Beaches Women's Partnership with a grant to aid its Pattern Changing for Abused Women Program.
This nationally renowned intensive 14-week psycho-educational program is offered twice a year. The program is geared toward empowering women who are victims of violence or who are in abusive relationships.
The course is offered twice a year and is free of charge. Because of the nature of the course, it occurs in a small group setting with participants and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The small group setting allows for more individualized attention and growth. The course has been offered three times and is currently running its fourth segment.
A recent graduate of Pattern Changing said, "It has been helpful to me because I was able to learn how to stand up for myself and not just let it go. And the weekly meetings that we attended were helpful also, in knowing that there are and were other women who cared enough to do something for me."
Through its support of programs like the Beaches Women's Partnership, THE PLAYERS can make a difference in lives of women in our local area.
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