thedrifter
07-29-08, 06:39 AM
MCCC sets new record
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Golf tournament raised $170,000 for area charities
July 29, 2008 - 12:35AM
MOLLY DEWITT
DAILY NEWS STAFF
It was a record-breaking year for the Marine Corps Celebrity Classic golf tournament.
In its fifth year, MCCC charitable distributions reached $170,000, a 60-percent increase over last year's $108,000.
The tournament, held June 4-8, featured more than 50 celebrities from the sports and entertainment world and more than 180 sponsored golfers from across the country.
"It was the five-year anniversary edition, and it was everything we thought it would be both in terms of celebrity participation and sponsor participation and, ultimately, the money for the charities," said Rosie Jones, MCCC project manager.
The charities receiving proceeds from this year's tournament are Hope For The Warriors, The USO of North Carolina's Jacksonville center, the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project and the American Patriot Fund of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
The Jacksonville USO received $55,000.
"It's an absolute honor and a privilege to be part of a program that's relatively new," said Harold Rowland, Jacksonville USO director and retired Marine first sergeant. "To be one of the nonprofits that are selected to receive the monies from it just goes to show that Onslow County and Jacksonville very much care about their military."
The money will support the USO's daily operations as well as its various programs, Rowland said.
Hope For The Warriors, which has received proceeds from the tournament in the past, also received $55,000.
"It's very special and dear to Hope For The Warriors because this is our community and where we started the organization," said Amy Koury, marketing director for Hope For The Warriors, "and it's a reminder that the people who are part of this golf tournament have directly affected our success and our ability to meet the needs of wounded service men here at Camp Lejeune and now all across the country."
Hope For The Warriors has not allocated its funding yet, but the money will benefit programs such as the immediate needs, Warrior Hope and Morale, and A Warriors Wish.
The Patriot Fund received $10,000 from the tournament's proceeds.
"More than a third of our financial support comes from local events. Our volunteers make that possible," said David Uy, public relations representative for the Marine Corps Scholarship Program. "The Marine Corps Celebrity Classic is a testament to the area's commitment to military families."
The Patriot Fund is a fundraising campaign of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which has set a goal of raising $50 million by the year 2012. The money received from the tournament is going toward that goal, Uy said.
"What it entails is helping strengthen their larger endowment. Specifically that is going to allow them to increase the average annual scholarship awards from about $3,200 to about $6,000," Uy said.
The funds will also help support Heroes Tribute Scholarships, which provide a commitment of $30,000 to every child of a Marine or Navy corpsman serving with the Marines who was killed during the global war on terror, Uy said. Last year, the program gave out 1,044 scholarships.
The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, which received $50,000 of the tournament's proceeds, will use the money to support programs such as benefits counseling, family assistance, Project Odyssey and Warriors to Work.
"This generous donation is a great example of the good that the American public can do in helping our nation's wounded warriors put their broken bodies and lives back together," said John Melia, executive director and founder of the Wounded Warrior Project.
With the proceeds divided from this year's event, plans are already under way for 2009.
"We are just so thankful that it ended up being so successful and we are ready to start working now in a few weeks on number six," Jones said.
Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8457, or mdewitt@freedomenc.com. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment.
Ellie
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
Golf tournament raised $170,000 for area charities
July 29, 2008 - 12:35AM
MOLLY DEWITT
DAILY NEWS STAFF
It was a record-breaking year for the Marine Corps Celebrity Classic golf tournament.
In its fifth year, MCCC charitable distributions reached $170,000, a 60-percent increase over last year's $108,000.
The tournament, held June 4-8, featured more than 50 celebrities from the sports and entertainment world and more than 180 sponsored golfers from across the country.
"It was the five-year anniversary edition, and it was everything we thought it would be both in terms of celebrity participation and sponsor participation and, ultimately, the money for the charities," said Rosie Jones, MCCC project manager.
The charities receiving proceeds from this year's tournament are Hope For The Warriors, The USO of North Carolina's Jacksonville center, the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project and the American Patriot Fund of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
The Jacksonville USO received $55,000.
"It's an absolute honor and a privilege to be part of a program that's relatively new," said Harold Rowland, Jacksonville USO director and retired Marine first sergeant. "To be one of the nonprofits that are selected to receive the monies from it just goes to show that Onslow County and Jacksonville very much care about their military."
The money will support the USO's daily operations as well as its various programs, Rowland said.
Hope For The Warriors, which has received proceeds from the tournament in the past, also received $55,000.
"It's very special and dear to Hope For The Warriors because this is our community and where we started the organization," said Amy Koury, marketing director for Hope For The Warriors, "and it's a reminder that the people who are part of this golf tournament have directly affected our success and our ability to meet the needs of wounded service men here at Camp Lejeune and now all across the country."
Hope For The Warriors has not allocated its funding yet, but the money will benefit programs such as the immediate needs, Warrior Hope and Morale, and A Warriors Wish.
The Patriot Fund received $10,000 from the tournament's proceeds.
"More than a third of our financial support comes from local events. Our volunteers make that possible," said David Uy, public relations representative for the Marine Corps Scholarship Program. "The Marine Corps Celebrity Classic is a testament to the area's commitment to military families."
The Patriot Fund is a fundraising campaign of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which has set a goal of raising $50 million by the year 2012. The money received from the tournament is going toward that goal, Uy said.
"What it entails is helping strengthen their larger endowment. Specifically that is going to allow them to increase the average annual scholarship awards from about $3,200 to about $6,000," Uy said.
The funds will also help support Heroes Tribute Scholarships, which provide a commitment of $30,000 to every child of a Marine or Navy corpsman serving with the Marines who was killed during the global war on terror, Uy said. Last year, the program gave out 1,044 scholarships.
The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, which received $50,000 of the tournament's proceeds, will use the money to support programs such as benefits counseling, family assistance, Project Odyssey and Warriors to Work.
"This generous donation is a great example of the good that the American public can do in helping our nation's wounded warriors put their broken bodies and lives back together," said John Melia, executive director and founder of the Wounded Warrior Project.
With the proceeds divided from this year's event, plans are already under way for 2009.
"We are just so thankful that it ended up being so successful and we are ready to start working now in a few weeks on number six," Jones said.
Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8457, or mdewitt@freedomenc.com. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment.
Ellie