(PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL.) – The PGA TOUR announced today the presentation of the 2005 Volunteer of the Year award to John Hamilton from the Cialis Western Open, and the 2005 Charity of the Year award to St. Michael Special School, a beneficiary of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The awards were presented by Commissioner Tim Finchem and TOUR player Stewart Cink during the annual PLAYERS Championship meeting of the PGA TOUR Tournaments Association.
Volunteer of the Year
John Hamilton – Cialis Western Open
John Hamilton has been a volunteer at the Cialis Western Open since 1975. His start as a volunteer more than 30 years ago occurred because of bad weather. Following a stormy weekend, Hamilton came to the tournament to help with a Monday finish.
Hamilton now performs the task of overseeing the largest volunteer group at the tournament. John does a tremendous job supervising over 800 marshals volunteering for the tournament. He understands that the marshals are the one group of volunteers most visible to spectators, so it is especially important for them to perform their duties capably. Hamilton retired from AT&T in early 1999, after as career as a district manager for labor relations. The main focus of his job at AT&T involved negotiating with the labor unions to keep them happy. He points out that his job at the Western is very similar to his previous career of dealing with conflict resolution and solving problems.
John and his wife Donna live in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, and they plan to continue to devote a great deal of their time to the tournament. The Western Golf Association is grateful that John won’t be slowing down and taking it easy in his retirement."
"We consider John Hamilton to be an integral part of our tournament’s management team. He has been involved with the Western Open for over three decades, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience as it relates to managing the flow of tournament spectators. I trust and respect John’s opinions, and consider his input and decision making ability a vital component to the success of the tournament," said Cialis Western Open tournament director John Kaczkowski.
Charity of the Year
St. Michael’s Special School – Zurich Classic of New Orleans St. Michael Special School serves students with major learning disabilities by providing an upgraded, individualized academic curriculum with emphasis on functional skills that foster independence. Their doors are open for children ages six through adulthood. Their mission is to help each student achieve their potential through experiences that lead to adjustment into the world.
St. Michael has served over 5,800 students of diverse backgrounds during its history. Programs include academics, speech and language therapy, technology, music therapy, adaptive physical education and various inclusive activities with their respective peer groups.
The funds will be placed in their scholarship fund and used to supplement the tuition of needy students. With the devastation of Katrina, there won’t be a shortage of families in need of assistance.
"We are extremely pleased that one of our charities, St. Michael Special School, was selected as the PGA TOUR Charity of the Year," said John Subers, tournament director of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. "You wouldn’t be able to find a more deserving organization. To see the countless special needs children who have been touched and nurtured, who have been allowed to grow and explore their potential within the safe haven of St. Michael’s is truly heartwarming. We’re honored by the recognition the PGA TOUR has bestowed not only upon St. Michael’s, but the attention the city of New Orleans is receiving by this announcement."
About the PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2006, the three Tours will compete in nearly 120 events for approximately $325 million in prize money. Tournaments will be held in eight countries outside the U.S. and in 38 states.
In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours reached the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions in late 2005. The PGA TOUR’s web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Contact:
Ana Leaird Gary Holaway
PGA TOUR Western Golf Association
1-904-273-3681
1-847-724-4600, ext. 221
