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- 1. The Honda Classic Cares THINK OUTSIDE THE CUBICLE Dancing Under the Stars
- 2. 6 SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens l pbgfl.com EVERY TEAM HAS A MASCOT Pictured at the infamous Bear Trap at PGA National Resort & Spas Champion Golf Course: (l to r) Bill Decker, Joseph R. Russo, Dana Johnson, Michele Jacobs, Kenneth R. Kennerly, John Domenico and Andrew George.
- 3. W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 7 E very year our community, as well as an international audi- ence, prepare for The Honda Classic golf tournament to come to Palm Beach County. Now hosted at PGA National Resort & Spas Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens has proudly been the Host City for the past 13 years for the tournament voted Most Fan Friendly event on the PGA TOUR in 2014. In 2015, the tournament boasted more than 165,000 spectators over an eight day period. Much media coverage takes place when the tournament is in town and the entire City is abuzz as fans pine for a glimpse of their favorite golf pro. What the community at large may not realize is that The Honda Classic is about more than the game of golf. It is easy to see the excitement generated by the week- long event, the population that swells from inside the temporary golf village, the prolific media cov- erage that reaches foreign shore- lines, or even the thrill of watching the best players in the game of golf battling the infamous Bear Trap, and think that this huge undertak- ing is all about crowning another champion. In addition, the eco- nomic impact to the community is undeni- able. In 2015, there was a 15% increase in hotel room nights in Palm Beach Gardens and 30,000 visitors from outside of Flori- da- representing 24 different states and 25 different countries. All of these things are important and note- worthy; however, the lesser known purpose of the event is that of philanthropy. In fact, many do not realize that The Honda Clas- sic is a non-profit that donates net proceeds from the tournament to charities aimed to impact the lives of youth in need right here in our community. Our true mission is giving back to the children of the community, says Dana Johnson, Director of Community Relations for The Honda Classic. While The Honda Classic tourna- ment strives to provide Palm Beach County with a premier profession- al sporting event, the ultimate goal is to positively impact youth in need and create a brighter future for our community. Recently, tournament organizers have com- mitted to a targeted initiative to get out the word about its giving called The Honda Classic Cares. Last year, The Honda Classic awarded $2.55 million in charita- ble contributions during Honda Classic Cares Week and supported 129 organizations in South Florida through its two programs- Bird- ies for Children and Childrens Healthcare Charity the tourna- ments host organization that administers funding to childrens non-profit organizations. The Honda Classic Cares Initiative is aimed at giving back to the chil- dren of the community through programs targeted at childrens health and (continues)
- 4. 8 SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens l pbgfl.com welfare. These programs have impacted over 15,000 children and families locally. The Honda Classic moving to Palm Beach Gardens was part of the inspiration behind Jack and Barbara Nicklaus establishing the Nicklaus Childrens Health Care Founda- tion says Patty McDonald, Foundation President and CEO. What started as a vision, has turned into a reality, bringing world-class pediatric health care to children and families in their own backyard. Pulling things off for the maximum benefit to Palm Beach County takes a team effort. The staff of IMG Golf, the marketing and management company that produces the award winning tournament, works year round to coordinate a successful golf event. Once that group has risen to the occasion that is expected of a premier PGA TOUR event, the Board of Directors of Childrens Healthcare Charity takes up the torch to manage funding to a growing list of local charitable organizations. The Board is responsible for overseeing the event and leading the mission of the charity. The joining force between management of the event and Childrens Healthcare Charity is Executive Director of The Honda Clas- sic, Kenneth Kennerly. When Childrens Healthcare Charity was established in 2006, the Board of Directors looked to Kennerly and his team to reenergize and build The NEW Honda Classic. When the Board became involved in 2006, they believed and supported the new vision of the management company, led by myself, and allowed us to create something truly spe- cial and to think out of the box as we develop The New Honda Classic, said Kennerly of his involvement. We had to get creative to build more than just a professional golf tour- nament; we had to build an event that would be embraced by our entire community com- prised of golf fans and non-golf fans. Aside from tournament revenue, The Hon- da Classic has another way for local charities to benefit from the week of events. Birdies for Children is a fun way for 501 (c)(3) organizations to participate in fundraising by soliciting pledges from individuals to guess the number of birdies during the four days of tournament play. Not only does the charity receive the money they raise, but they earn an additional 10% bonus for each dollar raised. The top prize for the guessing public is a brand new vehicle donated by American Honda. Those guessing the right number of birdies are entered into a drawing where the winner takes away a new car. In the last two years, Birdies for Children has raised $2 million for participating charities. To date, organizations like Nicklaus Childrens Health Care Foundation, Urban Youth Impact, The Arc of Palm Beach County, Quantum House and Els for Autism have been part of a growing list of over 300 local charities to benefit from the tournament in the last nine years. Executive Director Kenneth Kennerly believes that the success of the tournament and the viability of its fundraising capacity lie in its appeal to fans. The event draws everyone from die hard golf fans to casual standers-by, all with a common desire to come out and have a good time in Palm Beach Gardens. At the end of the day, we are in the enter- tainment business, not just the golf busi- ness. Hence the reason The Honda Classic has grown and become one of the most pop- ular events in South Florida. The Honda Classic lPGA National Resort & Spa February 22 - 28, 2016 We had to get creative to build more than just a professional golf tournament; we had to build an event that would be embraced by our entire community comprised of golf fans and non-golf fans. - Ken Kennerly, Executive Director The Honda Classic Executive Director of The Honda Classic Kenneth R. Kennerly snaps a quick photo of Childrens Healthcare Charity Board Members Joseph R. Russo, John Domenico and Michele Jacobs.