La Quinta, Calif. – Five-time Major and three-time Masters Champion Phil Mickelson will join senior military leaders in honoring wounded heroes and military families during a military appreciation ceremony scheduled to take place on Patriot Day, Saturday, January 23, at 4 p.m., during the PGA TOUR’s CareerBuilder Challenge on the 18th green on the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West. During the ceremony, Mickelson will announce the start of a year-long fundraising and awareness campaign marking the 10th anniversary of Birdies for the Brave – a military outreach initiative he founded in 2006 which is dedicated to honoring and showing appreciation to the courageous members of our U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
In addition to Phil and Amy Mickelson, ceremony participants will include PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, Command Sergeant Major Patrick Alston, Senior Leader of United States Strategic Command; Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder; Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, U.S. Navy (ret.), CEO of Birdies for the Brave homefront group Special Operations Warrior Foundation; and representatives from Callaway Golf, Desert Classic Charities, and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, who will also provide military pageantry and ceremonial presentations.
Joining the CareerBuilder Challenge’s efforts to support our Servicemen and Women and continue the legacy of Bob Hope, Chandi Group USA and the Riverside County Economic Development will team up as presenting sponsors of Patriot Day, Saturday, January 23.
“Patriot Day and our annual military appreciation ceremony are a large part of the CareerBuilder Challenge and our longstanding efforts to continue the legacy of Bob Hope, because his tireless support of our servicemen and women is something we take pride in honoring,” said Tournament Director Bill Tait. “We’re proud to support the military, our veterans and their families, and we feel honored to be able to provide the community with an opportunity to pay tribute in this very special way. Just as history has shaped this great nation, so have the past 57 years shaped this great tournament; and we take every opportunity to celebrate both and honor those who have made it possible. We encourage all spectators and players to show their personal appreciation by wearing red, white and blue on Patriot Day and to attend the military appreciation ceremony following play on Saturday.”
Adding to the Military Appreciation Ceremony on the 18th Fairway immediately following play, Patriot Day will feature a wide range of special activities for the military, including a PGA WEST Golf Academy golf clinic for military members at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA WEST driving range, hosted by the highly regarded PGA WEST Golf Academy instructors. Also, following a tradition that Desert Classic Charities is very proud of, CareerBuilder will partner with the Military Warriors Support Foundation and honor a hero with a mortgage-free home. The presentation will take place in Bob Hope Square at lunchtime on Patriot Day.
Toward that end, CareerBuilder has stepped up to provide complimentary admission to all active-duty military and veterans on Patriot Day. They have also attached their name to the popular CareerBuilder Patriot’s Outpost, which gives military personnel and their families a comfortable venue for watching the tournament. Located along the 18th fairway of the TPC Stadium Course at PGA WEST, the Patriot’s Outpost will serve as a comfortable oasis for military members and their families from Jan. 21-24 with patio seating and complimentary food and beverage.
For tickets, active duty, military reserve, National Guard and military retirees and veterans can visit www.careerbuilderchallenge.com/tickets and follow the instructions to Sheer ID. Once your veteran or active status has been confirmed, you will be issued a code that will allow you to reserve your complimentary Daily or Patriot Day ticket. Additional Daily Veterans tickets are available for $25 (a $15 discount from the regular price) on all days except Patriot Day, where admission is free.
To learn more about Birdies for the Brave and the many fundraising and promotional activities taking place in 2016 to celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary, please visit www.birdiesforthebrave.org. For tickets and information about the CareerBuilder Challenge January 18-24 at PGA West, visit www.careerbuilderchallenge.com.
Contact:
Justin Johns, PGA TOUR, (904) 543-5232, justinjohns@pgatourhq.com
Shannon Lawrence, CareerBuilder Challenge, (760) 469-8781, shannon@desertclassiccharities.com
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