EDS Byron Nelson Championship

Irving, TX - The Salesmanship Club of Dallas, sponsor of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, announced that the 2005 Championship raised more than $6.05 million in net proceeds. It is the fourth time in its history that the annual contribution has exceeded the $6 million mark.

Funds generated from the sale of sponsorships, tickets, merchandise, concessions, parking and other amenities benefit Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers (SCYFC), a nonprofit organization that is helping transform children's futures in the Dallas area. The money provided by the Salesmanship Club makes up more than 92 percent of SCYFC's operating budget, enabling the agency to serve families regardless of their ability to pay. SCYFC operates innovative programs for at-risk children and their families, including a laboratory school for urban children in Oak Cliff and family therapy centers in Oak Cliff and Northwest Dallas. Early in 2006, SCYFC will launch a unique new program, the Family Works Center, that will offer prevention, early intervention and treatment programs for children, adolescents and their families.

"Too many children and families in our community are suffering from a lack of adequate mental health and education services," said Kent Skipper, PhD, executive director of SCYFC. "The EDS Byron Nelson Championship ensures that the Salesmanship Club is able to provide these services regardless of whether the family has insurance coverage or financial resources. We are deeply grateful to EDS and the hundreds of sponsors and volunteers who work so hard to make this possible."

Since its inception, the Championship has raised more than $88 million for SCYFC and has been honored by the PGA TOUR for contributing the most money to charity of any PGA TOUR event. In honor of this accomplishment, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas has been awarded the Benefactor Award by the PGA TOUR Tournaments Association for five consecutive years.

Larry Nixon, 2005 tournament chairman, said, "Thanks to our title sponsor, EDS, and all of sponsors, the hundreds of volunteers and the thousands of spectators for everything they contributed to make this year's Championship a success. We are so pleased to be able to contribute more than $6 million to our charity and make a difference for Dallas area families."

The 2006 EDS Byron Nelson Championship will be played May 10-14 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. The 2006 event will mark its 39th year on the PGA TOUR.