Insperity Invitational AJGA Junior Championship hosted by Patrick Reed earns second consecutive Charitable Giving Award
For the second year in a row, the American Junior Golf Association has presented its Charitable Giving Award to the Insperity Invitational AJGA Junior Championship hosted by Patrick Reed. The 2015 tournament raised $82,000 for the AJGA’s Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant and charities in The Woodlands, Texas, area.
Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual hospitality, Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament, charitable giving and volunteer base. Awards are also given to the events with the highest media and social media participation. Finally, the AJGA recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and general manager, as well as the most improved event, best new event, best Junior All-Star tournament, best Invitational and overall tournament of the year. Tournament awards for the 2015 season will be presented on-site at 2016 tournaments.
The AJGA’s ACE Grant program provides financial assistance to junior golfers who lack the economic resources to play a national junior golf schedule and ultimately earn a college golf scholarship. Since 2003, the AJGA has reimbursed more than $2.5 million to more than 650 junior golfers which equates to more than $13 million in college scholarships. The ACE Grant is a major impetus for the committee to fundraise each year.
“Winning the Charitable Giving Award for the second year in a row demonstrates the sincere interest of our sponsors, volunteers and community in opportunities that contribute to a better future for young men and women,” said co-Tournament Chairman Bob Edwards. “During the past five years we are most proud of raising awareness of the ACE Grant as a major benefactor of our event and its track record of success in helping less fortunate juniors achieve their dreams.”
Edwards and his co-Chair, Bob Lewis, are able to successfully fundraise largely in part to the Insperity Invitational and Patrick Reed, both of which generously supported the tournament in 2015.
Throughout the past five years, the Insperity Invitational AJGA Junior Championship hosted by Patrick Reed has raised $91,000 for local charities and $133,500 for the ACE Grant. Other charities to benefit include The First Tee, New Danville and Memorial Hermann Hospital.
“The AJGA sincerely appreciates the tremendous fundraising efforts of Bob Edwards, Bob Lewis and the entire committee,” said Darren Nelson, AJGA senior regional director, South Central. “Because of them, we are able to make a direct impact on the local community.”
Although they have been working on the tournament, hosted annually by The Woodlands Country Club, for five years, Edwards and Lewis are excited about their continued involvement with the AJGA moving forward.
“Each year, Bob Lewis and I as co-chairmen look forward to the excitement of players and parents, the spirit of our sponsors and volunteers, and the quality of golf by so many at such a young age,” Edwards said. “We also look forward to the exceptional conduct of the players and AJGA staff.”
The 2015 award is the fourth for the tournament as it won the 2013 Volunteer, 2014 Charitable Giving and 2014 Tournament of the Year awards previously
The Insperity Invitational AJGA Junior Championship hosted by Patrick Reed returns to the AJGA schedule June 20-23, 2016.