The Barclays tournament officials have announced that the 2011 event will again give New Jersey and New York charities the opportunity to participate in “Tickets Fore Charity” – a unique fund raising initiative designed to improve the quality of life in the communities where PGA Tour tournaments are held. The Barclays, the first event in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup, will feature 125 of the top players on tour, Aug. 23-28 at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N.J.
Through “Tickets Fore Charity” The Barclays is providing 501(c)(3) organizations with the opportunity to promote tournament tickets to benefit their organization. Best of all, 100 percent of the net proceeds from the ticket sales – net proceeds exclude tax or processing fees – go to charity: 75 percent to the charity promoting the tickets; and 25 percent to The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. The First Tee is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation aimed at positively impacting the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and education programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.
“This is an incredible opportunity to raise unlimited funds for the participating charity and there are absolutely no costs to the organization,” said The Barclays Executive Director Peter Mele. “Fans will get to witness the very best the PGA Tour has to offer and generate revenue for charities in New York and New Jersey during a time when these organizations need our help more than ever. We’d like to invite charities throughout the area to join us in enhancing and enriching our local communities by participating in “Tickets Fore Charity.”
The “Tickets Fore Charity” program was announced on April 7 at a charity reception at Plainfield Country Club, attended by more than 90 representatives from both New Jersey and New York charities. In 2010, the second year of the program, $150,000 was generated for local charities, and the tournament has set a goal of $200,000 for 2011. As of today, 55 charities have officially signed up to participate in the program. For a complete listing of participating charities, please see the attached document.
The ticket available through “Tickets Fore Charity” is a weekly grounds ticket available for just $50, normally priced at $100. This is a grounds ticket for each day of the tournament from Tuesday Aug. 23 – Sunday Aug. 28. Tickets can now be purchased on behalf of your charity of choice by visiting www.buytfc.com. Non-profit organizations interested in participating in the program should contact Dan Chelel at The Barclays tournament office at danielchelel@pgatourhq.com or 201-444-5356.
The PGA TOUR, its players and tournaments support more than 3,000 charities. These local and national organizations work in a range of areas affecting the lives of millions in the communities where we live and play. In 2010, The Barclays donated $1 million to local charities, bringing the total amount raised since 1967 to more than $37 million.
About The Barclays
The Barclays has been a part of the PGA Tour schedule since 1967 when Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural event at Westchester Country Club. Since that time, some of the greatest players in the game have earned the title including World Golf Hall of Famers Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Raymond Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, Hale Irwin, Curtis Strange and the new defending champion, Matt Kuchar, 2010 winner of The Barclays.
Many of the world’s current top players have won the event as well, including two-time champions Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia, and four-time champion Vijay Singh. As the first of four playoff events, The Barclays plays a leading role in the FedExCup, the season-long competition that is the centerpiece of the PGA Tour season.
About Barclays
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking and wealth management with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs 147,500 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide. For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.barclays.com.