Turning Stone Resort Championship

 
 
700-Plus Charitable Groups Invited To Learn About Fund-Raising Through Turning Stone Resort Championship
 
May 24, 2007
More than 700 area organizations received letters from the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund this week inviting them to attend information sessions to discover how their groups can use the Turning Stone Resort Championship to benefit from two new and distinct fundraising opportunities.

The potential exists for the region's charitable groups to earn significant amounts of added revenues for their causes through a special inaugural-year ticket sales/proceeds program. Additional fund-raising is possible through a second program where pledges are solicited and funds earned based on the number of birdies scored during the tournament.

Both programs are being offered by the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund, together with the Oneida Nation, as the charitable component of the Turning Stone Resort Championship. The Championship, an official PGA TOUR event, is scheduled at the Atunyote Golf Club in Vernon, NY, September 17 - 23. It is expected to draw some of the world's best golfers. And, because it is nationally televised, the tournament will put the Upstate New York region in the national spotlight.

Information Sessions May 2 and 3

Charitable organization representatives are invited to attend information sessions about the programs on Wednesday, May 2 in Syracuse and on Thursday, May 3 in Utica.

Upstate New York Empowerment Fund/Oneida Nation and Turning Stone Resort Championship representatives will describe how the programs work, how charities can maximize the value of participation, and the specific operating guidelines and procedures groups must follow in their fund raising efforts.

"Tickets for Charity"

"Tickets for Charity" is a special, inaugural-year function added to the standard in PGA TOUR fundraising programs so that region's non-profit community, and their critical missions and audiences served, are able to benefit significantly from the first year's Championship event.

For this year, the Oneidas have chosen to forego a large portion of tournament ticket sales so charitable groups can instead earn the funds from those ticket sales. Groups can take orders for tickets, then will get back 100 percent of collected ticket sales. The sales period runs May 10 through August 1, 2007.

"Birdies for Charity"

A second way Upstate NY charities can raise funds is through participation in "Birdies for Charity." This program raises money every time a birdie is made during the pro tournament rounds of the Championship. Charitable groups can take pledges in advance of the tournament (May 10 through tournament close) for a certain sum per birdie made. (For example, the PGA TOUR event at Atunyote in 2006 generated 1,535 birdies, so for a pledge of one cent per birdie, $15.35 would be yielded).

The tournament will provide invoicing services for the Birdies for Charity program, and will return each group's proceeds - 100 percent of the collected pledges -- following the tournament.

Full details of how both programs work are available at the information sessions. Advance reservations are required to attend.

Groups may call the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund at (315) 829 8282 (answer-line) to receive an invitation and RSVP form. Forms should be faxed back to the Fund's offices at (315) 829-8288 as soon as possible.

A slate of 19 highly respected area philanthropic-minded citizens and executives has joined the effort as members of the 2007 Honorary Host Committee of the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund, in support of the charitable efforts undertaken through the 2007 Turning Stone Resort Championship.