Annual Tahoe celeb golf tourney to benefit local charities

20TH ANNUAL AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP
TO BENEFIT LOCAL NON-PROFITS

Tahoe Celebrity Golf Tournament to Help Feed the Hungry,
Aid Struggling Families and Support Local Children’s Programs

(South Lake Tahoe, Nev.) – Three South Lake Tahoe area non-profits will receive much needed funding to continue their work in the community from the American Century Championship (http://www.tahoecelebritygolf.com/). Officials of NBC Sports, the owner of the event, announced that Tahoe Youth & Family Services, Bread & Broth, and the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe will realize support toward specifically requested needs for the coming year. The celebrity golf tournament, July 14-19 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course has raised over $3 million for national and local charities since its inception in 1990.

“We made the decision to use the American Century Championship every year as a vehicle toward real impact on important causes and we’ve pledged to always contribute to local community service initiatives,” said Jon Miller, Executive Vice President of NBC Sports. “The residents of the Lake Tahoe area are as much a part of this event as the players themselves.”

Now in its 20th year, the American Century Championship has evolved into a local and national institution. The combination of two decades of memories plus sports and entertainment superstars including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Tony Romo, Ray Romano, Mario Lemieux, Dale Jarrett, Dan Marino, John Elway and Jerry Rice, has made it network television’s longest running celebrity golf tournament. NBC Sports will televise the second and final rounds of the event live on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 from noon-3 pm PT/ 3-6 pm ET both days, with Friday’s opening round on ESPN2, 4-6 pm PT/ 7-9 pm ET.

Funds raised by the American Century Championship will provide for approximately 20-25 weeks of meals for the hungry through the Bread & Broth program. Bread & Broth has provided hot meals to those in need every weekly for the past 20 years. Due to difficult economic times, the number of people served each week has increased, stretching the program’s community outreach budget to its limits.

Individual, family and group mentoring and outreach programs offered by Tahoe Youth & Family Services will get a lift by the Tahoe celebrity golf tournament with charitable funds going towards a new passenger van.
The community support group provides professional and affordable help for youth and families to support families experiencing the effects of homelessness, alcohol and drug use and teen pregnancy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe offers programs and services to promote and enhance the development of South Lake Tahoe youth via educational and recreational activities. Local BGCLT kids can expect new computers from tournament donations.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) is the official charity of the American Century Championship. The tournament will also help build awareness of the LIVESTRONGâ Global Cancer Campaign, while raising funds for the LAF’s cancer survivorship initiatives. Collaborating again with the LAF on the 2009 tournament is a natural fit for American Century Investments, as that more than 40 percent of the asset management firm’s profits go to fund research for the prevention and cure of gene-based diseases.

Tickets are available in advance and daily at the gate. Prices are $15 each day for the Lake Tahoe Celebrity-Amateur on Tuesday, July 14, the practice round on Wednesday, July 15, and for the American Century Celebrity-Am on Thursday, July 16; and $25 for each tournament round, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A Season Pass for $60 provides admission for all six days of the event. Kids 10 and under are free with a paid adult. For tournament tickets, information and lodging packages, visit: http://www.bluelaketahoe.com/.

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For further information, contact:
Phil Weidinger
Weidinger Public Relations
http://us.mc388.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dinger@weidingerpr.com
(775) 588-2412