The annual Birdies for Charity campaign, a fundraising effort of the Valero Texas Open in April, raised over $6 million for local charities, schools, and programs, tournament officials announced Thursday.
Birdies for Charity, a fundraising program started in 1997, gives participating charities and schools the opportunity to generate contributions through the Valero Texas Open. It is a no-cost program that gives 100 percent of the funds raised back to the participating organizations.
Participants solicit donations from individuals and corporations based on the total number of birdies made during the tournament.
By the start of tournament week this year, 230 organizations had registered to participate.
Tournament officials announced June 14 that this year’s fundraiser brought in nearly $6.4 million. The charities also received several financial incentives in the form of a 7 percent matching gift, which totaled $428,000.
This year’s biggest fundraisers were the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute Teleton USA ($445,020), followed by San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind ($398,000), and Respite Care of San Antonio ($300,421).
Valero is a fabulous philanthropic member of the business community in SA. They are one of a handful of big companies that employ at good salaries. I hope city leaders and others working on visions for SA keep this in mind when making decisions and include them in discussions.
What if you do not like professional sports?