SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The tradition of giving continues at the American Century Championship (ACC) at Lake Tahoe, with a recent Lake Tahoe Community College graduate and the new South Lake Tahoe multigenerational Recreation and Aquatics Center the beneficiaries.
The legacy of two athletes who participated in the ACC for years continues through philanthropy that helps South Lake Tahoe area students, as well as the new center. Gene Upshaw, former Oakland Raider, died of pancreatic cancer in August 2008, just weeks after playing at the annual celebrity golf tournament. Tim Wakefield, who was with the Boston Red Sox and known for his knuckleball, died from brain cancer, three months after playing in his 11th tournament at Lake Tahoe.
Both men are remembered annually at Lake Tahoe for their special commitment to making life better for others.
NBC and American Century support the new recreation center
NBC and American Century Investments announced their continued support of the new aquatics and recreation center in the name of Tim Wakefield and his wife, Stacy. The center is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2026.
This follows their initial commitment during the 2024 tournament when NBC committed an annual donation of $10,000 to the center in honor of Tim and Stacy Wakefield. American Century Investments then followed with a matching donation of $10,000.
The tournament now continues the $10,000 commitment to honor the Wakefield’s charitable legacy and longtime participation in the American Century Championship.
The funds have gone to batting cages, a pitching machine, and scholarships for youth in need at the new center. The Wakefield name will be on the new building and baseball additions.
“This is probably my favorite moment of the week in that this community has meant so much to us,” said Gary Quinn, VP of programming and general manager, owned properties for NBC Sports. “Jon [Miller] and I talk about always the building blocks of success and not taking things for granted, but the community has embraced us since day one. And it’s very important for us to reciprocate.”
“Tim and Stacy, honestly, embody this tournament,” said Erik Schneberger, chief marketing officer, American Century Investments. “They exemplified charitable giving and giving back all the time throughout their whole lives. Just to be able to honor them with this ongoing award is very special for us at American Century Investments.”
“We look forward to doing this as long as we can,” added Quinn. “If we can help — it’s funny, after this was announced last year, I had multiple locals come up to me saying how great this is because in the wintertime they really don’t have a lot of places to go and work out and exercise and stuff. It was really nice to see it was so well received when it was first announced. We look forward to continue to doing it as long as we can.”
Gene Upshaw Memorial Scholarship
A recent Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) graduate was the recipient of the annual Gene Upshaw Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $10,000. Yuliana Rosales was at a press conference during the American Century Championship to accept the scholarship and meet with NBC and American Century executives.
Yuliana “Yuli” will be going to UC Davis in the fall to major in economics with a concentration in international business economics. She wants to come back to the South Lake Tahoe community after graduation and “help people navigate through the financial systems that seem so complex and confusing.”
“I would like to make it easier for people to reach their goals,” said Yuli. “From what I’ve seen or from what I’ve learned from Gene [Upshaw], he stood for community leadership and just the kind of integrity that puts others first. I want to carry that forward and help others achieve their goals. That would be
everything, and truly I have no words. This is just incredible. Thank you.”
Nancy Harrison, executive director of the LTCC Foundation, said Yuliana embodies what the scholarship stands for as the first person in her family to attend college. She said she, like Upshaw, has qualities of leadership, community service, and academic excellence.
“We are so grateful to NBC Sports and American Century because it’s making such a huge impact on our students,” said Harrison. ” It’s $10,000. That’s our biggest single scholarship. When I told Yuli, we both cried, because it’s going to make such a big impact for her.”
“I’m always honored to be here to celebrate our youth and somebody who is so deserving of the scholarship,” said Upshaw’s widow Terri. “Every year, it seems that the bar gets raised higher and higher.”