Golf is the ultimate sport for charity. In fact, the PGA Tour raises more money than the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL combined. Of course the big name corporate donors drive much of this, however smaller golf fundraisers such as Chip 4 Charity performed by Zach Smith and the Youngstown State Club golf team still make an enormous difference in local communities.
As for the the Chip 4 Charity story, Zach explained:
Every student organization and club at YSU is about charity work and volunteering. I told the guys we've been established for a year so let's do something to make a difference in the community.
I wish I could say I came up with Chip 4 Charity myself, but the idea came to me when I watched Phil Mickelson perform it live in tandem with KPMG during halftime at a San Diego Charges game.
While we weren't fortunate enough to perform our fundraiser in an actual Youngstown football game, there are nonetheless so many high schools around the area and football is huge in Northeast Ohio. I called a local high school--Cardinal Mooney--that plays at the YSU stadium who agreed to let us perform the fundraiser in a big game against their rival Boardman High School. Approximately 8,000 people showed up on the Sept 5th game!
None of this would have been possible without the help of The Principal at Cardinal Mooney, John Young. John hooked us up with The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown which facilitated our funds raised going to Cardinals For Kids which provides winter coats, hats, and gloves for children in the local community. The Youngstown Club Golf Team is going to help them distribute the goods at the of the fall semester at shelters.
A great opportunity to give back to the Youngstown community from the Chip4Charity! Thanks to everyone for their help pic.twitter.com/1DOYWzxhoi
— YSU Club Golf (@ysuclubgolf) September 10, 2014
I'm proud to say that we were able to put on a show at halftime and get the crowd into the fundraiser by having one of the high schoolers from Cardinal Mooney, Ken Keller, and Andy Santore, the head golf progressional at Mill Creek Golf Course, participate. It turned out that Andy is an alumnus of Cardinal Moody as well. Given how well-received the event was, Chip 4 Charity will now be an annual event we hold with Cardinal Mooney when they play a home game at our football stadium.
Youngstown Club Golf is earning points for the #ClubGolf contest
Some people have asked why we did this fundraiser, and I explain that there's been so much generosity for us that we feel obligated to give back to this wonderful community. Giving back is what Youngstown is all about.
**Zach Smith is a senior at Youngstown State, President of the Club Golf Team, and Marketing Major. Contact him on twitter @YSUClubGolf
