American Century delivers $64,500 to Lake Tahoe South nonprofit organizations

The 2012 American Century Championship continues to benefit Tahoe South as the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority distributed $64,500 to 23 non-profit groups through funds raised during the annual celebrity golf tournament.

Presentations were made to representatives of each group at the recent LTVA Board of Directors meeting. More than $115,000 was committed to Tahoe South based non-profits, agencies and schools when combined with previous distributions to other organizations for on-site volunteer efforts.

"Once again the American Century Championship demonstrates the beneficial relationship between tourism and the local community,” said Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. "We’re proud of the LTVA’s 23-year partnership with NBC Sports and American Century. The event positively impacts the destination through national marketing and media exposure, but just as important, it supports area organizations that need the help.”

Tournament title sponsor American Century Investments is a leading, privately-controlled investment management firm serving professionals, institutions, corporations and individuals. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of company profits support research to help find cures for genetically-based diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia.

Local cancer support programs involving the Barton Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Cancer League received $11,000. The Boys & Girls Club received $10,000 with $5,000 each to Christmas Cheer All Year, Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe, Live Violence Free and Tahoe Youth & Family Services. Contributions of $500 to $3,000 were awarded to American Youth Soccer Organization, Douglas County Parks & Recreation/Kahle Community Center, Ordinary People Meeting Extraordinary Needs, Sierra House Elementary PTA, South Tahoe BMX Bijou Bike Park, South Tahoe Family Resource Center, South Tahoe High School Grad Night, South Tahoe High School Performing Arts Booster Association, Tahoe Arts Project, Tahoe Community Church Food Pantry, Tahoe Douglas Rotary Foundation, Tahoe Regional Young Professionals, Tahoe Senior Housing II/Kelly Ridge, Tahoe Senior Plaza, Whittell High School – Safe & Sober Grad Night and Zephyr Cove Elementary School.

How will the donations impact the needs of the greater South Lake Tahoe area?

For Christmas Cheer, it means more food and clothing to those in need; for the Boys and Girls Club it’s development programs that focus on academic success, science and job readiness; the Kiwanis will able to provide more winter coats for kids with the greatest need as determined by their teachers; the Cancer League can increase the amount and frequency of funding to patients trying to make ends meet; at South Tahoe Family Resource Center it means health education and developmental needs for Latino families; the Tahoe Food Pantry can continue its work to help feed 7,400 people with 3-day supplies of non-perishable food; for Tahoe Senior Housing and Tahoe Senior Plaza it means keeping their residents involved with outside activities and entertainment; for Tahoe Youth & Family Services funds will help provide support for runaways, homeless and needy youth as well as counseling for substance abuse and youth mentoring and development programs.

“We are so appreciative as contributions like this help keep our doors open to serve our kids,” said Karen Houser, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. “The need is even greater lately with more kids requiring help in a challenging economy.”

To be considered, each organization had to meet 501(c)3 certified non-profit guidelines and complete a formal donation request including mission, plans for funding and local impact.

Since its inception in 1990, the tournament has donated more than $3.8 million to local and national non-profits. The 23 years of memories with sports and entertainment superstars has made the American Century Championship network television’s longest running celebrity golf tournament. Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Tony Romo, Ray Romano, Alex Smith, John Elway and Jerry Rice were among more than 80 sports and entertainment stars and Hall of Famers competing in the 54-hole, $600,000 tournament televised on NBC Sports.

This past July’s event established a new attendance record of more than 40,000 fans. The 24th annual American Century Championship is July 16-21, 2013. For more information, visit: www.TahoeCelebrityGolf.com or www.TahoeSouth.com