American Century Championship awards 52 area nonprofits with $121,250

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (LTVA) distributed $121,250 in funds to 52 area non-profit organizations as a result of the 34th annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.

As the tournament’s destination sponsor, the LTVA is responsible for the South Shore’s most impactful special event, coordinating with partners NBC Sports and American Century Investments, to ensure a successful and memorable experience for fans, locals, celebrities, and media.

“It’s an annual tradition where we can help support many organizations that enrich our community,” said Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “Our partnership and relationship with both American Century Investments and NBC Sports through the years is meaningful and impactful. The tournament is only possible with our incredible partners including Edgewood Tahoe and our lodging and casino partners.”

Grants were distributed to American Legion Post 795, Between Horses and Humans, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, Bread & Broth, Carson Valley Arts Council, Carson Valley Health Foundations, CASA El Dorado, Christmas Cheer, Clean Tahoe Program, Clean Up The Lake, Douglas County Sheriff's Office, El Dorado Community Foundation, El Dorado County Search and Rescue, Encompass Youth, Food Bank of El Dorado County, Heavenly Valley Ski Foundation, Inc., Hope Lutheran Church of the Sierra, Kiwanis Community Organization, Inc., Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, Lake Tahoe Epic Curling, Lake Tahoe Historical Society, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Lift Literature, Live Violence Free, Partnership Douglas County, Inc., Phoenix Food Pantry, Project Prom of Northern Nevada, Rescued Hearts Ranch, Saint Joseph Community Land Trust, Sierra Child and Family Services, South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, South Tahoe Parks Foundation, Suicide Prevention Network Ltd, Tahoe Art League, Tahoe Arts Project, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, Tahoe Cares, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Tahoe Learning Haven, Tahoe Magic, Inc., Tahoe Prosperity Center, Tahoe Youth and Family Services, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, Team Tahoe/Bike Tahoe, The Foundation for Douglas County Recreation & Senior Center, The Sugar Pine Foundation, Valhalla Tahoe, Whittell High School Boosters Club Inc. and Zephyr Cove Elementary School Parents Club.

To be considered, local organizations were required to meet 501(c)3 certified nonprofit guidelines, provide an outline of their mission, and describe how the donation would be used and indicate its impact in the community.

Since 2009, donations exceeding $2 million have been distributed to more than 100 area non-profits to assist 13,000+ individuals.

The July event established numerous benchmarks including:
- Golf’s preeminent celebrity tournament hosted a field of 92 stars including Steph Curry, Tony Romo, Charles Barkley, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, John Elway, Annika Sorenstam, Miles Teller, Mardy Fish, Joe Pavelski, 17 sports Hall of Famers and dozens of All-Stars, as well as Grammy and Emmy award-winning entertainers, comedians and actors.
- Television ratings for the tournament on NBC Sports delivered the largest Sunday audience for the event since 2004 across NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock, peaking at 2.6 million views in the last 15 minutes of the broadcast.
- Curry’s hole-in-one coverage via social media yielded more than 30 million impressions.
- The gallery of 76,810 also established a new attendance record.
- A publicity value of $251 million.
- Total viewership audience/impressions: 14.3 billion.

Since its inception in 1990, the American Century Championship has donated more than $7 million to local and national non-profits. In 2023, American Century Investments celebrated its 25th anniversary as the tournament’s title sponsor, one of the longest associations in golf, and just prior to the event signed a six-year extension with NBC taking it through 2029 to the tournament’s 40th anniversary.

The 35th annual American Century Championship is July 10-14, 2024. For more information, visit www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com or www.VisitLakeTahoe.com.

In the photo above: The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority distributed $121,250 total in funds from the American Century Championship. The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (pictured) was awarded funding for their helicopter fund. (Pictured L-R: Jessica Garrison, Scott Lindgren, Jerry Bindel (LTVA Board Chairman), Tod McMichael (American Century Investments), Tracker, Kris Rowlett and Michelle Turner.