2023 ANNUAL REPORT PGA REACH WNY FOUNDATION "Positively Impacting Lives Through the Game of Golf"
Western New York PGA Section Headquarters 711 Smith Rd. East Amherst, NY 14051
CONTENTS 3
Note From Our Leadership
4
Founding Pillars
5
Board of Directors, Trustees, and Staff
6
2023 Impact
7-8
Youth Pillar Review
9-13
Military Pillar Review
14
Diversity and Inclusion Pillar Review
15
Supporting Fundraisers
16
PGA Legacy Grant
17
Overall Community Impact
18-19
Partners and Fairway Futures
20
The Future of PGA REACH WNY
MISSION
“Positively Impacting Lives Through the Game of Golf”
PGA REACH WNY was created with the goal of providing support to various organizations within the boundaries of the Western New York PGA Section. Through the game of golf, the Foundation will work to fund programs supporting its mission including the Western New York Section PGA Junior Golf initiatives and various other underprivileged youth golf programs. The Foundation will conduct and/or support a variety of initiatives that serve the founding pillars: Youth, Military, and Diversity & Inclusion in golf.
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FROM OUR LEADERSHIP TIM FRIES, PGA PGA REACH WNY Foundation President
VICTORIA SCHIRO PGA REACH WNY Foundation Executive Director
Once again, it has been a very exciting year for PGA REACH WNY. I am continually inspired by not only the growth of the Foundation, but by the many individuals that truly benefit from its expanding programs. Our milestones throughout the year would not have been possible or successful without the support of our Foundation Board of Directors, Trustee Committee, HOPE Ambassadors, PGA Members & Associates, partners, sponsors, donors, and staff. 2023 saw continued success across all of our platforms: Military Programs, Youth Programs, and Diversity & Inclusion.
It is an honor to serve as the Executive Director of the PGA REACH WNY Foundation. I am inspired every day by the work that our local WNYPGA Professionals continue to do in the community. Founded in 2010 by local PGA Professionals, our goal is to positively impact lives through the game of golf. This charitable arm of the WNYPGA provides access and opportunities to individuals in the community through the game of golf.
Thank you to all that participated in our events this year by raising your philanthropic and volunteering hands. Without our dedicated Board, benevolent Trustees, charitable sponsors, and selfless volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish our vision and growth potential. I am truly humbled, grateful, and proud to be a small part of an immensely motivated group. To all of our Board Members, thank you for all your time, work ethic, and ideas. It is a pleasure to be a part of everything we have accomplished. We wholeheartedly invite all of you to participate in any capacity and/or just cheer us on through the various fundraising events we continue to facilitate around WNY. Thank you for allowing the PGA REACH WNY Foundation to continue to use the game of golf to impact lives. Here’s to your and our continued success in 2024! Cheers, Tim
This past year has been extremely impactful to our local communities! With roughly 160 kids, our Junior Golf Tour touches and impacts lives by teaching life lessons through golf in a fun and safe environment. In 2023, PGA HOPE WNY grew to serve over 120 Veterans creating community and camaraderie between the HOPE programs. The PGA Championship at Oak Hill was an opportunity to expose more people to this game that we all love so much. PGA REACH WNY embraced that opportunity and will continue to do so at the new “Pitch and Putt” facility at Genesee Valley Golf Course in Rochester, NY. The PGA of America, together with the Western New York PGA Section, donated $250,000 to the project. Monroe County will match that to create this new space for PGA REACH WNY to run local programs out of. Thank you to all involved with the project; we look forward to seeing it in action next summer! To our partners, sponsors, donors, volunteers, trustees, facilities, and PGA Professionals that continue to support our mission, thank you! Sincerely, Tori
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FOUNDING PILLARS
YOUTH
PGA Junior League is the flagship youth pillar program of PGA REACH WNY with the goal of making golf accessible to all kids in WNY. Participation in Junior League continues to increase each season as the program enables children to experience the fun and teamwork of golf. Through the PGA Jr. League, girls and boys ages 17 and under learn and enjoy the game with instruction and direction from PGA Professionals. Other youth programs include: WNYPGA Jr Tour, Drive, Chip & Putt, and WNYPGA Jr Golf Days.
1 FOUNDATION Board of Directors, Trustee Advisory Board, PGA Pros, Partners, Section Staff, and Countless Volunteers
MILITARY
PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGA REACH WNY that introduces golf to Veterans to enhance their physical, mental, social, and emotional wellbeing. Led by local WNYPGA Professionals, it’s a proven therapeutic activity that has helped hundreds of Veterans across Western New York assimilate back into their communities. These programs are delivered throughout our region at no cost to the Veterans.
1,220+ PEOPLE SERVED Veterans, Juniors, and Special Olympic Athletes
DIVERSITY&INCLUSION Golf is a welcoming sport for people of all backgrounds. PGA REACH WNY is dedicated to making golf more accessible to individuals of diverse backgrounds and abilities. The PGA WORKS Fellowship is one of the flagship programs of PGA REACH WNY. This fellowship aspires to be the most valuable entry-level employment opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds to garner experience in all facets of the golf industry. The golf industry’s workforce, including PGA Membership, is demographically homogeneous. The boards, senior leadership, and full-time staff are 95%, 97%, and 86% Caucasian, respectively. We are working to make the game of golf look more like our community.
>$290,000 RAISED For Continued Community Programming
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tim Fries, PGA President
Mike D’Agostino, PGA Vice President
Jamie Miller Buffalo Independent Director
Jeff Mietus, PGA Secretary
Michael O‘Connor, PGA Treasurer Ted Grassi III Erie Independent Director
Mike Merriman Rochester Independent Director
TRUSTEE ADVISORY BOARD Kendra Brim Diversity, Equity, Inclusion at Tesla Owner, K-Savannah Consulting
Steve Coulton Co Founder, OnCore Golf
Holly Hubert Founder of GlobalSecurityIQ
Tim DiGiulio Financial Advisor, CRPC L&M Wealth Management
Joe Mariano President JAMCO Development
David Gonzalez Co Founder, CEO, Arbol
Royce Woods VP of Community Development Citizens Bank
WNYPGA STAFF Victoria Schiro Executive Director/CEO
John Osberg Director of Development & Foundation Operations Mollie Mars PGA WORKS Fellow
Julie Haile Director of Junior Golf & Player Engagement
Abigail Gibson PGA WORKS Fellow
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2023 IMPACT 250 PGA s l a n o i s s e f Pro
500+ Y outh
16 Partn ers
Collaboration with BDGA & RDGA
s n a r e t e V + 150
s r e s i a r d n 7 Fu
200+ G olf Facilit ies 19 Jr Tour Events
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YOUTH
YOUTH
WNYPGA JUNIOR TOUR
PGA JR. LEAGUE PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of PGA REACH WNY. We envision a world in which PGA Jr. League is accessible to every child, everywhere, regardless of background or circumstance. We believe that golf is for the collective, and everyone deserves to feel a deep sense of belonging to healthy and caring communities. Behind each and every PGA Jr. League team is a PGA Coach providing a safe, caring, and organized environment for every child to become (and stay) a golfer. These experts in the game are provided with flexibility to create a coaching program that works best for their players and families.
BY THE NUMBERS
505
PGA JUNIOR LEAGUE PLAYERS 2nd most all time
409
#GAME CHANGERS 17% increase
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PGA JUNIOR LEAGUE COACHES
36
PROGRAMS 6% increase
In 1999, the WNYPGA Junior Golf Tour was formed to provide an opportunity and atmosphere for juniors to enjoy the camaraderie, friendship, and sportsmanship of competitive golf at a series of premier venues throughout the Western New York Section of the PGA of America. Since the conception of the WNYPGA Junior Golf Tour, it has grown from 10 annual events to the current schedule of 19 events. Annually the membership is between 150 – 230 junior golfers that play approximately 2,000 rounds of competitive golf. Since 1999, it has had over 4,500 members and over 25,000 rounds! The WNYPGA Section is most proud of the fact that we have touched the lives of so many young ladies and gentlemen over the past 24 years. Through the game of golf we have instilled the life skills of honesty, integrity, competitiveness, and camaraderie.
BY THE NUMBERS
19
JUNIOR TOUR EVENTS
157
JUNIOR TOUR MEMBERS
$23,000+ TOUR MEMBERSHIP GENERATED
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Thank you to Dick’s House of Sport for hosting!
YOUTH
YOUTH
Junior Golf Days
Drive, Chip & Putt (DCP) A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association, and The PGA of America, Drive, Chip & Putt is a free nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf. By tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys ages 7-15, DCP provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. Participants who advance through local, sub-regional, and regional qualifying events in each age/gender category earn a place in the National Finals, which is conducted at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament and is broadcast live by Golf Channel.
The 45-minute golf clinics introduce juniors to the game of golf utilizing the American Development Model (ADM) to develop the entire athlete and not just specialize in one sport. Instruction is focused on Stage Two of the American Development Model (ADM), FUNdamentals, to develop skills for play focused on fun, inclusion, and developmentally appropriate activities.
BY THE NUMBERS
452
DCP COMPETITORS
4
LOCAL QUALIFIERS
1
SUB REGIONAL
10 youth were able to receive 1:1 instruction!
PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGA REACH WNY, the charitable foundation of the Western New York Section, PGA of America. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans to enhance their physical, mental, social, and emotional well being. The program introduces the game of golf through a developmental 6-8 week curriculum taught by WNYPGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. All programs are funded by PGA REACH and supplemented by PGA REACH WNY, so the cost of programming is free to all Veterans.
MILITARY PGA HOPE
(HELPING OUR PATRIOTS EVERYWHERE)
PGA HOPE has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Veterans Affair (VA), which enables Recreational Therapists to refer Veterans to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy. Through a robust program strategy, PGA HOPE aspires to create a physically and emotionally healthier Veteran community by shaping lives, changing lives, and possibly saving lives through the game of golf. It is a fact that suicide is a major issue among military Veterans with recent statistical studies showing that 17 Veterans a day commit suicide. PGA HOPE WNY is working to change that statistic.
OVER 100
LOCAL VETERANS SERVED in Buffalo, Rochester, and Erie
8 programs 7 locations 25+ coaches
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Military
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LARGEST SINGLE SEASON GROWTH - 8 PROGRAMS IN 2023 GOLF DOJO
NIAGARA FRONTIER (S)
WEBSTER
GLEN OAK
SOUTHERN MEADOWS
NIAGARA FRONTIER (F)
WILD WOOD
PGA HOPE WNY BY THE NUMBERS
97 11% 184
VETERNS GRADUATES IN 2023
INCREASE FROM 2022 (87 LAST YEAR)
TOTAL GRADUTES SINCE 2022
THE RIDGE
Swag g a T g Ba
With the funds raised, PGA REACH WNY is looking to host its first HOPE Cup where all HOPE graduates would be invited back for a golf tournament.
The WNY community raised $12,489! PGA REACH will provide a dollarfor-dollar match up to $10,000 of what was raised locally.
Down Range Play Day Grant
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$10,000 for post programming at ZERO cost to the HOPE graduate!
8 9 WNY holes courses
Goal To gain more experience playing golf off the range
Available to 100+ HOPE graduates
Secretary's Cup
P G A R E A C H W N Y 12 hosted the 7th annual Secretary’s Cup at Penfield Country Club! 48 Veterans were invited to play across 9 PGA HOPE Chapters
WNY had 3 teams composed of 12 Veterans and 3 Professionals
PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup celebrates the PGA HOPE Program by providing a unique and memorable experience for our military Veterans and the PGA Professionals who work tirelessly to positively impact Veterans’ lives. This annual conjunction with the PGA Championship began in 2016 and is named after the Secretary of Veteran Affairs in recognition of the Memorandum of Understanding between PGA REACH and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Each team is made up of four Veterans from a PGA HOPE program and one WNYPGA Professional.
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CANS FOR HOPE RAISED $1,000 IN 2023!
TEE IT UP FOR THE TROOPS: WANAKAH COUNTRY CLUB One of WNY’s most memorable and impactful fundraiser golf tournaments. The event brings local businesses together to recognize our Military Veterans and Active Duty members. As a beneficiary, the PGA REACH WNY Foundation received $10,394.73 to help support the local PGA HOPE Chapters.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION OVERVIEW
PGA WORKS is a strategic initiative designed to diversify the golf industry’s workforce. Funded by PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America, PGA WORKS leverages fellowships, scholarships, career exploration events, and the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship to inspire and engage talent from diverse backgrounds to pursue key employment positions across the golf industry. The PGA WORKS Fellowship is a 12-month, full-time contract with a PGA Section to be fully immersed in the responsibilities of a Section staff member. As a Fellow, you get to experience the work behind the scenes, Player Development Programs, social media, marketing, tournament operations, and so much more. It is an initiative from PGA REACH to try and diversify the golf industry’s workforce. In 2023, PGA REACH WNY was privileged to be able to hire TWO PGA WORKS Fellows, Mollie Mars and Abigail Gibson (pictured to the left), giving golf industry experience to individuals that had never been introduced to the game of golf before. The goal is to have a PGA Membership and golf industry that look like a modern day America.
2023 Supporting Events DUSTER CHALLENGE
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PGA REACH WNY MARATHON Numerous runners raced to raise money for our Foundation initiatives such as PGA HOPE, PGA WORKS, PGA Junior Tour, and PGA Junior League.
$9,000 raised
Putting under the lights to raise money for PGA REACH WNY and to crown “WNY‘s best putter.“ This year, we had a record number of participants with over 100!
$4,000 raised Thank you to the TEE 2 GREEN Radio Show for sponsoring this event!
PAR CRAWL
Part of the proceeds were also donated to Girls on the Run Buffalo to fulfill its mission!
Thank Bob Powalski from PRAXIS FINANCIAL GORUP for being the title sponsor!
LONGEST DRIVE COMPETITION Hosted by
Thank you to Steve Beattie and his team from CUSTOM TURF for creating the custom greens for
SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEW YORK
each of the participating bars in Ellicottville, NY.
and PGA REACH WNY.
Thank you to all the HOPE graduates who came out and volunteered!
$3,000 raised
With over 100 tickets sold, funds were raised by the WNY community for PGA HOPE WNY.
over $1,200 raised
3 local athletes will be supported for an entire year with the funds raised!
PGA Legacy Grant “Pitch & Putt”
The PGA of America announced that it would be donating $250,000 to Genesee Valley Golf Course in Rochester, NY. This donation is part of an initiative to restore public golf courses. The PGA hopes to leave a lasting impact on hosting communities by making golf more accessible. Also, thank you to the Rochester Community for hosting the 2023 PGA Championship.
“The new pitch & putt area will provide a world class facility for everyone to work on their short game.” -County Executive Bello
PGA Article Link! (May 2023)
News Story Link! (September 2023)
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Substantial Community Impact: By the Numbers
1,220+ lives positively impacted through the game of golf in 2023!
2023 Foundation Partners
Fairway Futures
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The PGA REACH WNY Fairways Futures are community/business leaders who love the game of golf and want to create positive community impact.
Nathan Forrestel OnCore Golf Ambassador & Special Olympics Athlete Ambassador
Kyle Schultze Operations Mgt, Park Country Club
Jake Cercone Associate, Largo Capital
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BECOME A PARTNER FOR 2024 We are looking for YOU to help positively impact the community through the game of golf!
BECOME A FOUNDATION PARTNER The PGA REACH WNY Partnership Program provides companies with a vehicle to create community impact through the game of golf. By becoming a Foundation Partner, you will directly benefit and enhance our Foundation’s 3 Pillars of Programming: Military Veteran support via PGA HOPE - “Helping Our Patriots Everywhere,” engaging youth via PGA Jr. League and Jr. Tour, and promoting Diversity, Equity, BECOME A TRUSTEE and Inclusion in golf via PGA WORKS. Love the game of golf? Have a desire to create positive impact with golf as the platform? We are looking for engaged civic and business leaders to join our growing group of Board of Trustee/Advisors to help us continue “Positively Impacting Lives through the Game of Golf.”
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Looking to make a lasting community impact through PGA REACH WNY?
GET IN TOUCH TODAY!
REACH out to Victoria Schiro to learn more.
Victoria Schiro E: vschiro@pgahq.com P: (716) 707-3814
“IMPACTING LIVES THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF” Western New York PGA Headquarters 711 Smith Road East Amherst, NY 14051 (716) 626-7095 wnypga.com/foundation