NEW YORK, August 23, 2011 – Three prominent New York area businessmen are serving as co-chairmen of The First Tee of Metropolitan New York’s 10th Anniversary Gala being held on October 5 at the American Museum of Natural History and paying tribute to the life and legacy of the late Lewis Rudin, founding Trustee of the organization.
Kenneth Langone, Jim Robinson and Seth H. Waugh will serve as co-chairs for this festive event which will honor the contributions of the Rudin family and other major supporters, and feature former President Bill Clinton as the keynote speaker.
“We’re honored that these three businessmen have stepped forward to lend their support to this special evening,” said Barry McLaughlin, Executive Director of The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. “Countless individuals, organizations and corporations have given us the ability to serve youth through The First Tee over the past decade and this event allows us to say thank you to a number of those who have made our Chapter into the far-reaching organization that it is today.”
Langone is a venture capitalist, investment banker, financial backer of The Home Depot, and a former director of the New York Stock Exchange. He has used his success from co-founding Home Depot to contribute almost $150 million to various charities with a particular focus on those in an around New York City that support education and health-related causes.
Waugh serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp. and as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, an affiliate of Deutsche Bank AG. He is a Director of The Partnership for New York City, Inc. and has been a Director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation since 2002.
Robinson was the Chief Executive Officer of American Express Co. from 1977 until his retirement in 1993 and today is a general partner and co-founder of RRE Ventures, a private information technology venture investment firm, along with his son, James D. Robinson IV, a venture capitalist, and his son’s Harvard Business School classmate, Stuart J. Ellman.
Former President Bill Clinton, a personal friend of Lewis Rudin, will speak about Rudin’s philanthropic vision as a founding Trustee in this program that teaches positive values such as honesty, integrity and perseverance to young people through the game of golf.
During its first 10 years, The First Tee of Metropolitan New York Chapter has gone from a dream of Mr. Rudin and its other founders, to a program that boasts more than 5,000 active participants at six facilities and more than a dozen affiliate sites. The remarkable growth of The First Tee of Metropolitan New York was made possible through the support of its founding partners: the Met PGA and Metropolitan Golf Association, along with the financial support of corporate sponsors at the PGA TOUR, including The Barclays and MasterCard, and the United States Golf Association.
Tables ($10,000 full; $5,000 half) and corporate sponsorships for the event may be purchased through Rachel Newman, Manager of Communications, at The First Tee of Metropolitan New York by calling (718) 655-9164 x-113 or via email at rnewman@thefirstteemetny.org. Additional information about The First Tee and its programs is available at www.thefirstteemetny.org.
Contact:
Ed Brockner
Director of Development
ebrockner@thefirstteemetny.org
(917) 575-3809
Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations
karen.moraghan@hunter-pr.com
(908) 876-5100
