$80,000 Raised to Benefit the Youth of the San Gabriel Valley Through The First Tee of Greater Pasadena Golf Invitational Fundraiser

On Tuesday, October 6th, 144 participants came to Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena to partake in the eighth annual golf invitational fundraiser for The First Tee of Greater Pasadena, a non-profit with the mission to impact the lives of the young people of San Gabriel Valley by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

Throughout the tournament, eight students from The First Tee of Greater Pasadena’s Junior Advisory Committee assisted the players, who were grouped into foursomes. Among the Junior Advisory Committee were Leila Dizon and Mason Chiu who had the honor of participating in last month’s Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach where they played alongside pro golfers Duffy Waldrof and Scott Hoch respectively. During his speech at Tuesday’s dinner reception, Mason Chiu, who had received a generous monetary gift of $400 by participating in The Nature Valley First Tee Open, announced that he would be donating his gift, along with a matching donation by his parents to The First Tee of Greater Pasadena’s “Sponsor a Youth Program.” The funds for this program go towards preparing kids and teens for success at school, at home and in their community through the game of golf.

The capital raised throughout this tournament fundraiser truly shows the dedication and support that the community has for The First Tee of Greater Pasadena. In all, over $80,000 in funds were raised with the help of Brookside Golf Club, founding partners Rose Bowl Stadium and American Golf Corporation, supporting partner Brookside Men’s Club, dinner sponsor Excelsior Partners, along with The First Tee of Greater Pasadena’s major corporate sponsors Nestle, Phoenix Decorating Company, Matthew Butcher Memorial Foundation, Pasadena Certified Farmers Markets, Lincoln Property Company, and Mark Holdsworth & CO, LCC. In addition, the tournament attendees received product donations such as water from Nestle, golf balls from John Wells Pro Shop, gift cards from Togo’s, magazines from Avon, and 1st Tee Golf Energy Bars. Additional funds were raised through the foursome participant fees, generous live and silent auctions, and an in-kin donation of $18,500, courtesy of Brookside Golf Club.

About The First Tee of Greater Pasadena

The First Tee of Greater Pasadena is a Chapter of The First Tee and operates from the Brookside Golf Club, a 36-hole municipal golf facility located adjacent to the world-famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Additional facilities are located at the Alhambra Golf Course, Altadena Golf Course, Arroyo Seco Golf Course, Eaton Canyon Golf Course and Glen Oaks Golf and Learning Center, Glendora Country Club and Marshall Canyon Golf Course. The chapter holds golf programs directed towards youth ages 5 to 17, and aims at impacting young people’s lives by employing the game of golf while providing educational programs on: 1) character building, 2) instilling life-enhancing values, and 3) promoting healthy choices. For more details, please visit thefirstteepasadena.org, or contact Bob Baderian at r.baderian@att.net