Travelers Championship

 
 
Fore! Charity. Travelers Championship Tees Off Statewide Fundraiser
 
April 18, 2008
CONTACT: Anne Marie McLaughlin Travelers Championship
860-502-6808 amclaughlin@travelerschampionship.com

FORE. CHARITY!

TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP TEES OFF STATEWIDE CHARITY FUNDRAISING PROGRAM

HARTFORD, Conn., February 13, 2008 - Charity begins on the golf course this summer at the Travelers Championship, Connecticut's PGA TOUR event! The Travelers Championship is pleased to announce the start of the annual pledge-based fundraising initiative open to all 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Connecticut, Birdies for Charity. New this year, the tournament welcomes a partnership with the program's presenting sponsor, Haggett Longobardi, A Division of J.H. Cohn.

In this program, participating nonprofits can raise money by soliciting pledges (just pennies!) based on the number of birdies made during the 2008 Travelers Championship, which will be held June 16-22 at TPC River Highlands. At the end of the Championship, the total number of birdies will be tallied, pledges will be collected, and 100% of pledges collected will go directly to charity. The Travelers Championship and Haggett Longobardi, A Division of J.H. Cohn will cover all administrative work and costs, so there is no cost to the charity to participate and no pledge collection to manage. New this year, the Travelers Championship is pleased to announce the availability of online pledging on www.TravelersChampionship.com. Participating charities can simply email their donors the pledge link, making the opportunity to gather pledges just a click away!

"To officially kickoff the pledge season, we'd like to announce our pledge of $15,000 to establish Birdies Bonus Bucks, a bonus pool of funds to be distributed among the Top 10 pledge-getting nonprofits participating in this program," said Frank Longobardi. "We at Haggett Longobardi, A Division of J.H. Cohn, are very pleased to be part of this innovative, effective fundraiser and to support the efforts of the Travelers Championship."

Marking the launch of the fundraising program, Connecticut's local news personalities and business leaders competed in a Marshmallow Golf Challenge today at the Connecticut Convention Center- a fun way to get some golf in, despite the winter weather. Participants teed it up with marshmallows, with each participant competing on behalf of a local charity. To kick off the Birdies for Charity fundraiser with a very positive start, the Travelers Championship donated $500 to the winning charity, The First Tee of Connecticut. The First Tee is a youth development organization that uses golf as a vehicle to teach life skills to children across the state.

All 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Connecticut are eligible to participate in this program. Getting started is as simple as a phone call to the Travelers Championship or logging onto www.TravelersChampionship.com to download registration materials. The tournament will then provide pledge cards to be used in soliciting pledges, as well as suggestions and resources to make this program a success for each participant.

"With 1,500 birdies anticipated to be made by PGA TOUR professionals during the 2008 Travelers Championship, pennies could add up to thousands," said Nathan Grube, tournament director. "There's no risk to the charities to participate, and the potential for fundraising on this program is limitless! With the support of our partners, Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, WTIC Newstalk 1080, WTNH News Channel 8 and Connecticut Daily Newspapers Association, we aim to spread the word and get even more groups involved."

There is no deadline for charities to register for the Birdies for Charity program. Pledges will be accepted until June 22, 2008. Connecticut charities interested in participating should call 860-502-6801 or email birdies@TravelersChampionship.com. Complete information is available on www.TravelersChampionship.com.

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About the Travelers Championship The Travelers Championship will be held June 16 - 22, 2008, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. As the only PGA TOUR event in the northeast in early summer, the Travelers Championship is one of the region's premier sporting events. Primary beneficiaries of the Travelers Championship are The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, serving children facing serious illness, and the Greater Hartford Jaycees, a leadership development and community service organization. The event is sponsored by Travelers, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance. Travelers has been doing business in the community for nearly a century and a half, and today has more than 6,000 employees in the Greater Hartford area. Travelers has been a sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952, becoming title sponsor in 2007. Complete details are available on www.TravelersChampionship.com.