"Birdies for the Bluegrass" Benefits Kentucky Children's Hospital
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 10, 2018) — UK HealthCare has been named one of the official sponsors of the Barbasol PGA Championship being held July 16-22 at Champions at Keene Trace in Nicholasville. The tournament will be broadcast live each day on Golf Channel and one of only 45 regular-season tournaments before the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
As part of the PGA TOUR's mission to positively impact local charities through its events, the Barbasol Championship created "Birdies for the Bluegrass" to maximize the tournament's impact through not only UK HealthCare but for charities throughout Central Kentucky and the Commonwealth.
In "Birdies for the Bluegrass," donors can pledge an amount per birdie during the tournament. At the end of the tournament, donors will be billed for the amount pledged times the number of birdies scored. Alternatively, donors can make a one-time flat contribution. Donations can be made to one or more participating charitable organization and are 100 percent tax deductible.
Nearly 170 organizations benefit from the Barbasol PGA charity partnership, seven of which support UK HealthCare's Kentucky Children's Hospital (KCH). The Claire Foundation, Cowboy Up for a Cure, DanceBlue, the Dragonfly Foundation, Jarrett's Joy Cart, Kerrington's Heart and the Makenna Foundation are organizations that support the patients and families of KCH through financial assistance, care and comfort and other resources.
PGA TOUR events generated more than $180 million for charities in 2017 and have now raised an all-time total of $2.65 billion for charity. The statewide philanthropic effort for all participating non-profits will receive a 10 percent matching donation from the PGA up to $2 million. Lexus of Lexington will serve as the Presenting Sponsor for the charitable program, which will be managed by the Bluegrass Community Foundation.
“To ensure that this event becomes the economic driver we know it can be while also impacting charities across the Bluegrass, we must have our businesses here in Kentucky get involved,” said Brooks Downing, executive director of the Barbasol Championship. “UK HealthCare and Lexus of Lexington are two of our most active corporate and community leaders in Central Kentucky and we are thrilled to forge a cornerstone partnership with each of them as they help us set forth a sustainable foundation for this event for many years to come.”