by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Laura Brown may have one of the best jobs at the PGA Tour. As administrator of chairtable giving in the office of the commissioner, she spends a great deal of every day working with fellow Tour employees on ways they can give back to the community.
Whether it’s wrapping presents before Christmas or preparing Thanksgiving meals, Tour employees have come to understand and appreciate Commissioner Tim Finchem’s desire to put the Tour at the forefront of philanthropic efforts in the corporate sports world.
“When the commissioner moved charitable giving into his office, he asked me to do this,” said Brown, who has been with the Tour for 10 years and in her current capacity for the past 5-6 years. “It’s a pretty good job giving away money and other stuff.”
While the corporate community across the nation raises a majority of the millions the Tour donates annually — in 2005, the Tour completed its “Drive to a Billion” when it cracked the $1 billion mark in donations — Tour employees have certainly done their part over the years, also. Earlier this year, several employees suggested wearing jeans on Fridays, but for a cause and for a price. The idea was approved and last month anyone willing to donate $20 was allowed to wear jeans on Friday. The “Denim Days” campaign generated $4,800 for four local charities, which split the funds evenly.
The four charities are Big Brothers Big Sisters, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Lukemia & Lymphoma Society and the American Cancer Society. According to Charlene Shirk, the director of community relations for The Players Championship, the Tour already had ties to these four organizations in some capacity.
Many Tour employees volunteer throughout the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters and on Sept. 28 the Tour was the title sponsor of Margarita J’Ville, a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters hosted by the TPC Sawgrass. The Tour also sponsors the annual MS 150 bike which was this past weekend.
According to Shirk, a group of 57 riders consisting of Tour employees, spouses and friends made up Team PGA Tour.
“Light the Night Walk” on Sept. 27 was an event that featured a Tour employee who’s a three-time survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Finally, a team from the Tour — Get a Grip — was the leading fundraiser in last year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign.
Overall, Brown said the Tour raises about $2.7 million for local scholarship winners. However, it may be out of the media spotlight where the true giving takes place. For example, Brown said one employee takes his entire bonus every year and buys bicycles for area kids. Other employees donate their time on weekends for various initiatives all designed to help those who either can’t help themselves or just need a hand here and there.
“It’s (charity work) met with great enthusiasm by the staff,” said Brown, adding the staff has proposed extending Denim Days to an every Friday option. “We would have no trouble finding 52 charities to support. I’ll ask the commissioner about it.”
While the holidays create a special demand for volunteer time and charitable donations, the Tour works at it all year. Before school starts, Tour employees get together to wrap books for kids in 16 schools in grades kindergarten through fifth. The Tour often partners with local corporations such as Mayo Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida on such projects.
“The staff is always looking for something to do,” said Brown, adding that due to the demands of the work week, Saturday projects often produce better turnouts. “Our employees get 16 hours of paid leave a year to volunteer in the community. And, whatever they donate, we will match as long as it’s a local 501(c)3.”
Interestingly, perhaps the most impressive part of the Tour is its staff’s willingness to voluntarily give back. Brown said most that interview these days are genuinely interested in the Tour’s community service and volunteer opportunities.
“It’s part of who we are,” she said. “Young people coming out of college look at how philanthropic a company is.”
A billion dollars and more is about as philanthropic as it gets.