GCBAA FOUNDATION
Foundation Update A fundamental goal of the Foundation has always been to introduce children to the great game of golf and instill in those children the joy and sense of accomplishment that inspires them to become lifetime players. Thanks to the ongoing generosity of GCBAA members and the outside support of several key members of the industry, our Foundation has an extraordinary opportunity to implement new initiatives directed at expanding our game.
Tom Shapland GCBAA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT
BOARD MEMBERS MARK ARRIMOUR TOTAL TURF SERVICES JOHN HOLMES ATLAS TURF INTERNATIONAL LIMITED JIMMY KIRCHDORFER ISCO INDUSTRIES BILL KUBLY LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED, LLC KUN LI FORWARD GROUP RICK LOHMAN THE TORO COMPANY ALLAN MACCURRACH MACCURRACH GOLF CHRIS SEIBERLING LMC INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT DENNIS WAGNER HUNTER INDUSTRIES DOUG YORK EWING IRRIGATION
In addition to supporting our existing Sticks for Kids programs and funding new starts, we have recently forged a new partnership with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Foundation. The GCBAA Foundation has entered into this partnership for a number of critical reasons. First, each of their programs is led by a volunteer certified LPGA teaching professional which we believe will establish the fundamental skills that help make golf fun to new players. Second, their volunteer support staff at each location is thoroughly vetted to make certain the girls learn in a safe environment. Lastly, the LPGA Foundation has the structure and support staff necessary to monitor the programs in terms of current participants and their ongoing commitment to playing the game. Their Foundation currently operates 415 Girls Golf Programs that provide golfing opportunities to more than 50,000 young ladies annually. Together, the two Foundations, with significant assistance from the United States Golf Association (USGA), will fund and launch an additional 75 programs this year and hopefully a like amount in each of the next several years. The programs will be co-branded with recognition given to each of the three organizations involved. Your GCBAA Foundation is also continuing to explore ways to extend Sticks for Kids reach into public schools. Whether it is through physical education programs or by supporting competitive teams, we feel there is a great opportunity to develop more lifetime players. More information will be provided regarding this initiative in subsequent newsletters. The Foundation is embarking on these new programs for two primary reasons – 1) your generosity has provided the means to fund the expansion and 2) growth in our standard Sticks for Kids programs has stagnated. The stagnation can be attributed to the closing of some affiliated courses and the consolidation of some of the programs. Despite these market pressures, 16 new Sticks for Kids programs were started this past year and we anticipate that many new programs will start again this year. In addition to your financial support, the Foundation would like to enlist more personal assistance from each member. The locations of each of our Sticks for Kids sites will be posted on the website https://www.gcbaa.org/ Foundation/Sticks-for-Kids with the sincere hope that each member will consider making an annual pilgrimage (or two) to assist in monitoring a program nearby and provide suggestions on what we can do to improve. Tom Shapland
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