FAR HILLS, N.J. - The United States Golf Association Foundation has awarded 63 grants totaling $1,928,151 to organizations in 27 states and the District of Columbia. This is the first of three groups of grants awarded each year by the USGA. More than 55,000 participants are projected to benefit from these grants.
‘Many aspects of golf can be used to effectively convey life lessons,’ said USGA President Reed Mackenzie. ‘Through these grants, the USGA shows its continued dedication to providing unique opportunities for those who might not otherwise have access to the game.’
Since 1997, the USGA has awarded more than $34 million in grants through its ‘For the Good of the Game’ initiative. This 10-year, $50 million dollar initiative has traditionally focused on programming for economically disadvantaged youth and individuals with disabilities, as well as introducing youth to the game of golf through caddieing and other work-based programs.
Beyond its grants program, the USGA partners with national organizations such as the Ladies Professional Golf Association, National Alliance for Accessible Golf, National Golf Course Owners Association, National Alliance for Youth Sports, and the World Golf Foundation. Through these partnerships, the USGA promotes golf programs for youth, affordable and accessible golf course access, girls’ golf programs, and initiatives for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the USGA introduces talented recent college graduates to the world of philanthropy and develops their professional skills through its Fellowship in Leadership and Service.
This most recent group of grants included the Foundation’s second-largest single grant for junior golf programs to date, a three-year commitment of $225,000 to the Mid-South Junior Golf Association (MSJGA), in Memphis, Tenn. Founded in 1991 to expose inner city youth to the game of golf at no cost, the MSJGA reaches thousands of youth in the Memphis area. The USGA grant will go toward junior golf instruction, course access and education. The MSJGA has its own nine-hole golf course and is currently building a second nine-hole programming site with the help of the Bridgestone-Firestone Corporation and the Bridgestone-Firestone Corporation Trust.
‘We’ve been fortunate to receive a great deal of support to help us fulfill our mission of positively impacting kids through golf,’ said Vince Alfonso, executive director of MSJGA. ‘The USGA has played an instrumental role in our ability to expand and better serve the youth of Memphis.’
Another significant investment made by the USGA at this meeting was a $120,000 grant to the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce Charity Foundation (LAJCC) for its Urban Youth Junior Golf Program. The mission of LAJCC is to serve the community by providing innovative projects and programs, which benefit at-risk youth. LAJCC achieves its mission through the volunteer efforts of its membership of young professionals. The Urban Youth Golf Program curriculum runs for 24 weeks during the year, providing participants two hours of instruction each week. To ensure continued access opportunities, the program has teamed up with 50 Los Angeles-area courses to offer Urban Youth participants discounted access after completing the program.
A complete list of all grants from the winter 2003 Grants Committee Meeting can be found below. For more information on the USGA Foundation’s ‘For the Good of the Game’ Grants Program, contact the grants office at (719) 471-4810 or grants@usga.org. For a more detailed list, including program summaries and contact information, visit the Web site at www.usga.org/foundation.
Winter 2003 Grants Committee Meeting
Organizations Receiving Grant Awards Listed Alphabetically by State
Organization Name City, State Grant Amount
Tennesse Valley Jazz Society Huntsville, Ala. $17,000
Mississippi County Arkansas
Economic Opportunity Commission Blytheville, Ark. $21,800
Fresno-Greater San Joaquin Valley Junior
Golf Foundation Fresno, Calif. $75,000
Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce
Charity Foundation Los Angeles, Calif. $120,000
City of Salinas Recreation Department Salinas, Calif. $11,000
The First Tee of the Central Coast Santa Barbara, Calif. $31,200
National Sports Center for the Disabled Denver, Colo. $30,000
Gold Crown Foundation Greenwood Village, Colo. $4,050
Gold Crown Foundation Greenwood Village, Colo. $25,000
LPGA Foundation Daytona Beach, Fla. $200,000
Hollybrook Homes Apartments Jacksonville, Fla. $30,000
The First Tee of Jacksonville Jacksonville, Fla. $28,400
National Alliance for Youth Sports West Palm Beach, Fla. $100,000
School District of Palm Beach County West Palm Beach, Fla. $23,600
Georgia Junior Golf Foundation Athens, Ga. $30,000
Hawaii State Women’s Golf Association Honolulu, Hawaii $5,500
World Champions Charitable Foundation Okoboji, Iowa $4,000
YMCA of Southwest Illinois Belleville, Ill. $2,000
A Sporting Chance Foundation Chicago, Ill. $19,400
ABJ Community Services Chicago, Ill. $15,000
BROCK Social Services Organization
for the South Side of Chicago Chicago, Ill. $25,000
South Suburban Home School & Gym Group Chicago, Ill. $8,000
Rockford Park District Rockford, Ill. $80,00
Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana New Augusta, Ind. $3,000
Iberia Parish Recreation District 1 New Iberia, La. $75,000
The Rehabilitation Hospital
of the Cape and the Islands East Sandwich, Mass. $30,000
University of Maryland Medical
Systems Foundation Baltimore, Md. $17,290
Baltimore County Public Schools Towson, Md. $14,800
The Midnight Golf Program Detroit, Mich. $9,000
Rochester Area Disabled Athletics & Recreation Rochester, Minn. $2,000
Minot Junior Golf Association Minot, N.D. $25,000
Several Sources Foundation Ramsey, N.J. $5,700
The ARC of Atlantic County Somers Point, N.J. $12,000
Silver State Jr. Golf Academy Reno, Nev. $18,000
Children & Family Mental Health Services Amityville, N.Y. $11,300
Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo Buffalo, N.Y. $8,500
Greene County Golf Course Association Greenville, N.Y. $19,000
Pymatuning Valley Schools Andover, Ohio $2,050
The First Tee of Canton Canton, Ohio $75,000
Fairway Fifth-Graders Cincinnati, Ohio $15,000
Whittier Middle School Lorain, Ohio $5,430
Lake County Educational Service Center Painesville, Ohio $38,500
Forum Health Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital Warren, Ohio $21,000
Easter Seal Society
of South Central Pennsylvania East York, Pa. $3,000
The First Tee of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pa. $50,000
Alternative Education Program Port Allegany, Pa. $3,500
Upper Bucks County YMCA Quakertown, Pa. $2,500
Christian Sports International Zelienople, Pa. $16,000
Golf Foundation of Rhode Island Providence, R.I. $75,000
Fairway Outreach Columbia, S.C. $21,300
Blue Ridge Junior Golf Program Salem, S.C. $2,500
The First Tee of Spartanburg Spartanburg, S.C. $20,000
Mid-South Junior Golf Association Memphis, Tenn. $225,000
City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department Austin, Texas $50,000
Kids Sports Network San Antonio, Texas $4,340
Northern Texas PGA Jr. Golf Foundation Wylie, Texas $12,000
Fairfax County Park Authority Fairfax, Va. $3,500
The Boys & Girls Club of Virginia Peninsula Newport News, Va. $12,000
Richmond Department of Parks and Recreation Richmond, Va. $18,000
Greene County Recreation Department Stanardsville, Va. $9,000
Pacific Northwest Golf Association Seattle, Wash. $11,000
Seattle Junior Golf Foundation Seattle, Wash. $48,200
Langston Jr. Boys & Girls Golf Club Washington, D.C. $18,000
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