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Woods Foundation, local charities mutually helpful
The Gazette - Wednesday, June 24, 2009
by Bradford Pearson
Hundreds of volunteers will be slinging beers and other beverages at the AT&T National tournament over July 4 weekend, all in the name of charity.
While the tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, is expected to bring revenue to Montgomery County businesses, charities and nonprofits are also expected to share in the wealth.
After last year's event, the Tiger Woods Foundation donated $500,000 to 51 Washington, D.C.-area charities, including 13 in Montgomery County, according to foundation spokeswoman Rachel Rees.
The Tiger Woods Foundation is a charitable organization aimed at inspiring underprivileged youth to pursue their dreams through various educational programs.
And while the charities that will benefit from this year's tournament have not been named, some area groups are getting in on the action early.
The National Center for Children and Families, a Bethesda nonprofit that serves needy families and children, will once again organize an army of volunteers to man the beverage tents at the event and receive a portion of each tent's proceeds.
"It's great that larger nonprofits are looking out for other ones," said Alicia Lee, a spokeswoman for NCCF, referring to the Tiger Woods Foundation. "It's tough to raise money even without the way the economy is, so it's nice that other nonprofits are sticking with us."
Last year NCCF rustled up hundreds of volunteers and this year will be similar, Lee said. Six hundred volunteers are needed to man six tents.
Last year's volunteers included groups of employees from Marriott and Pepco, as well as a bevy of high school students earning student service learning hours.
The Tiger Woods Foundation also provides free tickets to the Montgomery County Recreation Department, which in turn distributes them to underprivileged youth.
"A lot of them are familiar with Tiger Woods and golf, because of course Tiger is a big person right now and they're familiar with him," said Karen Jordan, a supervisor in the recreation department. "For some kids it's brand new to them, so that's a different experience."
The department teams up with the George B. Thomas Learning Academy, a tutoring and mentoring center in Silver Spring, to pick the students.
Last year, various groups from across Montgomery County received grants from Woods' foundation, including religious organizations, volunteer fire departments, health clinics, and schools.
Rees said she did not know when the grant recipients will be named this year.
