BRASELTON, Ga. – Hannah Berman, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and Nick Leibold of Littleton, Colo., were named recipients of the 2015 USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award, the United States Golf Association and American Junior Golf Association announced Wednesday.
The USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award was created to recognize one male and one female junior golfer who demonstrate leadership, character and community service through their involvement with the Leadership Links program – a joint initiative founded by the USGA and AJGA in 2005 to further develop junior golfers through volunteerism.
“I’ve never doen this for awards or accolades, so being recognized is more than I could ask for,” said Berman. “I can’t even put it into words.”
Berman, 17, and Leibold, 17, will be honored on June 24 in Sunriver, Ore., during the Rolex Tournament of Champions. Additionally, they will each receive tickets to a future U.S. Open and an automatic entry into the 2015 Rolex Tournament of Champions, one of the world’s most prestigious junior golf events.
“It’s an honor to get this award,” Leibold said. “The campaign was a lot of effort, but it was so worth it to see the impact of my project.”
About Hannah Berman
The average life expectancy for patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) has increased from 17 to 37 in the past three decades, and much of this advancement can be credited to fundraising for research done by people like Hannah Berman. After losing a close family friend to CF, Berman and her family have made it their mission to honor her memory and raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Berman’s relentless volunteerism has also gotten her involved with other charities, including Northwest Behavioral Health Services, Jacksonville Family Promise and the Child Cancer Foundation. In 2014 alone, she volunteered more than 100 hours with these charities.
At the age of 12, Berman started a fundraiser for the CF Foundation at their annual 65 Roses Golf Classic called “Hitting it with Hannah.” For a $20 donation per group, she hits their tee shot on a par 4. “Hitting it with Hannah” has become a big part of that event, and she has raised more than $5,000 for the Foundation over the last five years. She now implements “Hitting with Hannah” several times each year for other charity tournaments, and has raised more than $12,000 in total. Additionally, through her “Birdies for Charity” efforts, she has raised another $11,000 over the last two seasons for the CF Foundation and the AJGA’s Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant.
“It sounds pretty simple at first, but there is also other work that comes with fundraising, especially now that I also do it for other charities,” Berman said. “It’s easy now that the CF players expect me to be there.”
Berman’s efforts don’t stop there. Also at the age of 12, she set up a First Tee Donation Station, at her home course, where members can donate golf clubs, bags, shoes and clothes to kids looking to learn how to play golf who may not have the right tools. One family even donated a golf cart, which was the first electric cart at the Jacksonville First Tee facility.
Berman says her commitment to helping others less fortunate in her community is something that is intertwined in golf’s legacy, as well as her family’s legacy.
“If one person as young as me can make an impact, others will see,” she said. “I want to change the lives of as many people as I can so others will be influenced to do the same.”
Even while volunteering countless hours, Berman has emerged as a competitive junior golfer. Since 2013, she has posted 19 top-10 finishes, and is currently the captain and two-time MVP of the Ponte Vedra High School girls’ golf team.
Berman sometimes wonders if maybe she could have increased her ranking or been considered for bigger tournaments if she took the time she spent volunteering to the golf course. Those feelings subside quickly. “I guess I’d rather save a few lives than save a few strokes,” she said.
Berman could not put the recognition into words, saying “it was more than she could ask for,” but those who work with her say her enthusiasm to help those around her is incredible.
“It’s truly amazing to see a young adult like Hannah, who has been doing this since she was 12, and for no recognition at all, take a leadership role in our community,” said Steven Oswald, executive director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, North Florida chapter.
Berman will graduate in 2016 and says she is looking forward to college, where she can find out who she is and how she can help out in the community.
“I am planning to do this my whole life,” she said. “Why stop when I can keep helping people who need it?”
About Nick Leibold
Growing up just outside of Denver, Leibold has always had a passion for his hometown and the game of golf. Over the years, this passion has translated to extensive volunteer work on and off the course.
In the summer of 2014, Leibold took part in the AJGA’s Birdies for Charity program, choosing to donate his earnings to The First Tee of Denver and the AJGA’s Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant. The First Tee of Denver is a nonprofit organization that aims to educate and develop inner-city youth in the Denver area through golf clinics and after-school programs.
“I knew I wanted to donate to a golf charity,” Leibold said. “The First Tee does such a great job teaching the game to kids who might not have the opportunity otherwise. I think it’s great that I get to share the sport I love.”
Leibold created a fundraising website and received pledges from nearly 70 donors for every birdie he made at tournaments during June and July. He also sent monthly updates on his tournament performances and fundraising progress, along with a handwritten thank-you note to each sponsor.
“The donors are the reason I was able to give to The First Tee of Denver,” he said. “They were being so generous, so I needed to thank them and return their generosity.”
His efforts paid off. Leibold raised more than $8,000 for The First Tee of Denver and an additional $3,000 for the ACE Grant. His Birdies for Charity campaign was one of the top three in the nation, which earned him the opportunity to play golf with Rickie Fowler in November.
“What I learned from Rickie is that no matter how rich, famous or popular you become, we all have a responsibility to give back, especially in golf,” Leibold said. “It’s a sport of integrity, honor and discipline. It deserves to be shared with everyone.”
When he isn’t raising money or playing golf, Leibold volunteers as a basketball player partner for the Special Olympics and serves as a mentor to freshman students at Heritage High School. Through his various efforts, he volunteered more than 140 hours in 2014.
“I don’t have a lot of free time,” Leibold said. “School comes first and I’m always busy, but I have a great life. I certainly have time to help.”
Leibold is a member of the National Honor Society, has maintained a 3.98 GPA through his junior year and has been named a Colorado Junior Golf Association Academic All Star every year since 2008.
Looking ahead, Leibold is excited about competing in the Rolex Tournament of Champions. Before graduating in 2016, he plans to volunteer more with The First Tee of Denver over the summer and participate in Leadership Links again.
Contact:
Tim Jackman, AJGA
tjackman@ajga.org
@AJGAJackman
(678) 425-1789
