(ATLANTA, GA…(November 18, 2005) — The BellSouth Classic, Atlanta’s annual stop on the PGA TOUR event since 1967, has announced a total contribution of $915,276 to local Atlanta charities. This total was reached despite the worst weather in tournament history. In addition to having the Thursday and Friday rounds rained out entirely, Saturday’s opening round included hail, sleet, snow and bitterly cold temperatures throughout the day.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the event’s primary recipient of tournament proceeds since 1981, received $428,750. With this donation, the tournament has now contributed more than $11.5 million to Children’s and over $13 million to Atlanta charities overall.
"BellSouth has a tradition of service to the community and the BellSouth Classic has been a cornerstone of that support," said Duane Ackerman, chairman and CEO, BellSouth. "We are proud of our contribution to the Atlanta community, especially to the families and children who are direct beneficiaries of the tournament proceeds."
"We are very pleased with this year’s donation and that it put us over the $11.5 million mark in total contributions to Children’s," said Bill Brown, President of the Atlanta Classic Foundation, the tournament’s organizing body. "This level of contribution happens because of the generous corporate commitment provided by BellSouth, other participating sponsors and the tireless efforts of our nearly 2,000 volunteers."
"Each year this significant contribution from the BellSouth Classic enables Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to purchase the most advanced equipment and to increase the level of care to our young patients," said Doug Hertz, Chairman, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation Board. Hertz adds that this year’s donation will be directed towards the capital campaign for hospital expansion.
Over the years, the money raised by the tournament has helped Children’s develop its state-of-the-art facilities and further enhances its reputation as one of the nation’s finest children’s hospitals.
Other recipients of 2005 BellSouth Classic proceeds include the Atlanta Junior Golf Association, the Georgia State Golf Association’s Yates Scholarship Fund, The First Tee of Atlanta and the Project One Junior Golf Academy totaling $17,500. Donations to miscellaneous charities totaled $525,688 with the majority of that amount coming from the Birdies For Charity program.
Contributions from the BellSouth Classic played a large part in the PGA TOUR’s successful "Drive to a Billion" program. The billion dollar plateau was achieved recently and represents total donations to charity since the first check was presented in 1938. The TOUR expects to reach the $2 billion mark in 2017.
The 2005 tournament was won by Phil Mickelson who also won the event in 2000. The 2006 BellSouth Classic will be played at the TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth, GA, March 27 through April 2, the week before The Masters Tournament. Expected to compete are Mickelson, two-time BellSouth Classic titleholder Scott McCarron, two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, Sugarloaf resident Stewart Cink and many more of the world’s finest professional golfers.
Contact:
John Marshall
Media Director
(770) 436-2643
Brent Fowler
BellSouth Corporation
(404) 249-2839
