LA QUINTA, Calif. – Volunteer registration for the 2018 CareerBuilder Challenge, the Coachella Valley’s annual PGA TOUR event from Jan. 15-21, will open on Friday, Sept. 1. Prospective volunteers may complete an application and seek more details – including committee descriptions, frequently asked questions, volunteer testimonials and a monthly newsletter – online at the tournament’s official website, www.careerbuilderchallenge.com/Volunteers.
The administrative fee for the volunteer package is $30 and includes a Nike golf shirt and jacket, a hat or visor, a volunteer badge that allows volunteers grounds access to watch the tournament when they’re not working, a weekly guest grounds badge, a week-long parking pass, breakfast and lunch on days they volunteer and a certificate for 50 percent off a round of golf at one of the five public courses at PGA WEST and La Quinta Resort & Club.
Each year, nearly 1,000 volunteers are assigned various duties at the three golf courses on which the CareerBuilder Challenge is played – the Jack Nicklaus Tournament and Stadium Courses at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club. The volunteer efforts enable Desert Classic Charities, the beneficiary of the tournament, to contribute to numerous Coachella Valley non-profit organizations.
Volunteers are required to work three to four shifts of approximately four to six hours each, depending on committee selection. They can choose from a variety of committees on which to serve, from walking scorers to player services. Many volunteers come back year after year and look forward to re-kindling friendships each January while positively affecting their community.
“My wife, Julie, and I began volunteering for the tournament 11 years ago to help out a friend. We really enjoyed the giving group of people we worked with and when we realized how important this event is to local charities, we were hooked,” said Ray Leonard, Marshal Committee volunteer leader for the Stadium Course at PGA WEST. “Volunteering for a worthy cause is the best ‘job’ you will ever have.”
The CareerBuilder Challenge – the Coachella Valley’s longest-running charitable event – has raised more than $58 million for Eisenhower Medical Center and other local charities since its inception as the Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960.
The 2018 CareerBuilder Challenge, the PGA TOUR’s first mainland event of the new year and its first event on the west coast swing each year, is scheduled for Jan. 15-21 and features 156 professional and 156 amateur golfers. Hudson Swafford carded a 72-hole score of 20-under-par 268, capped by a final-round 5-under 67 on the challenging Stadium Course at PGA WEST, to win his first PGA TOUR title at the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge.
About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) and operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
About Desert Classic Charities
Desert Classic Charities is the beneficiary of the PGA TOUR event in the Coachella Valley, and has contributed more than $58 million to Coachella Valley charitable organizations with the monies it has received since the tournament’s inception. The scope of giving is broad and includes support for structured and mentoring programs for children, social services, and food and safe shelter for the less fortunate. Desert Classic Charities is dedicated to continuing its mission to serve human needs in the Coachella Valley and beyond by generating funds and opportunities every year through the event.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 30 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2015, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $160 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.3 billion.
The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Contact:
Gayle Cochrane, Desert Classic Charities – Gayle@desertclassiccharities.com – 760-541-4105
Damian Secore, BZA Public Relations – DamianS@bzapr.com – 818-462-5614
Greg Ball, BZA Public Relations – GregB@bzapr.com – 760-271-9183
