$5,552,416 – WOW!
From the Arizona Golf Authority Golf News Desk
PHOENIX, Arizona – No sport backs up its commitment to philanthropy better than golf.
In 2011, the industry raised over $3.5 BILLION for charity – more than the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB COMBINED!
The number will only continue to grow, thanks to the efforts of the Thunderbirds and Waste Management, who today handed over the proceeds from the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open – a check totaling $5,552,416 – to local Arizona Charities.
That’s right, $5.5 million+ will stay in Arizona and help such organization as Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the First Tee, Junior Golf of Arizona, Homeward Bound and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as other deserving causes.
“This is one of my favorite days each year, the day when a year’s worth of hard work truly pays off and shows the real winners of the Waste Management Phoenix are the local charities,” said Thunderbird Big Chief Alex Clark. “The more than $5.5 million donation we announced will help thousands in need; we can’t thank the community and our sponsors enough for their outstanding support of the tournament.”
“As North America’s environmental solutions leader, Waste Management is proud to be the title sponsor of the greenest show on grass, and we are extremely pleased that more than $5.5M of golf tournament proceeds are going to charities through Arizona,” said David Aardsma, Waste Management chief sales and marketing officer.
As important as the $5.5 million donation is, the contribution Waste Management makes to saving the planet during the Phoenix Open is just as valuable.
The company instituted the Zero Waste Challenge with a goal of recycling 80% of the waste during the 2012 tournament. As part of the Challenge, they recruited and trained more than 500 volunteers who spread the word about Zero Waste, all week long. The result? During the 2012 tournament, Waste Management diverted an astounding 97% of the tournament waste from landfills and recycled more than 82% of it. A simply amazing feat!
The 2013 edition of the Waste Management Phoenix, to be contested January 28 – February 3, 2013, will mark the 78th playing of the event and the third year Waste Management will serve as title sponsor. Last year, the tournament broke the single-day attendance record on Saturday with over 173,000 spectators and saw more than 518,000 pass through the gates during the week.
Henry Ford said “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” The Thunderbirds and Waste Management have certainly proven that statement to be true, and we have no doubt they will continue to enhance “The Greatest Show on Grass”.
For information about the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit Phoenix Open.