LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Twenty-six area non-profit organizations were awarded $75,000 from the American Century Championship held this past summer. This brings the total donations from the tournament to local organizations to $124,000. The checks were handed out Thursday during the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (LTVA) board meeting.
During this year’s tournament, NBC memorialized long-time participant Tim Wakefield and his wife, Stacy, who both passed from cancer within five months of each other in late 2023 and early 2024. NBC announced an ongoing pledge of $10,000 in their name to support the new South Tahoe Recreation & Aquatic Center. Title sponsor American Century Investments immediately matched the gift. Following the news, Harrah’s/Harveys Caesars Entertainment also made a $10,000 contribution, totaling $30,000. (For information re: contributions: www.SouthTahoeParksFoundation.org.) The tournament also donated $10,000 for the annual Gene Upshaw Scholarship Award to a student from Lake Tahoe Community College; and $9,000 to the South Lake Tahoe High School Football Boosters for on-course ecology services.
As the tournament’s destination sponsor, the LTVA helps organize 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.
Grants were distributed to: Between Horses and Humans, Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, Bread & Broth, Carson Valley Arts Council, Christmas Cheer All Year, El Dorado Search & Rescue Council, Encompass Youth, Expand-Able Horizons, Family Support Council of Douglas County, Heavenly Ski Patrol Fund, Live Violence Free, Phoenix Food Pantry/LTCPC, Project Prom of Northern Nevada, South Tahoe Vikings Booster Club, Suicide Prevention Network, Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids, Tahoe Arts Project, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection – Explorers, Tahoe Magic, Tahoe PAWS, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Tahoe Youth & Family Services, Valhalla Tahoe, Whittell Boosters Club, Inc., and Zephyr Cove Parents Club.
“It’s a pleasure to continue an annual tradition of assisting many non-profit organizations that enhance our community,” said Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “We appreciate the incredible, long-standing partnerships with American Century Investments, NBC Sports, Edgewood Tahoe, Harrah’s/Harveys, and our lodging and casino properties to positively impact our town in such a meaningful way.”
“We have cultivated a tremendous appreciation for the South Lake Tahoe community over the past quarter century,” said Jonathan Thomas, president and CEO of American Century Investments. “Our firm directs more than 40 percent of our profits to medical research annually, and we are delighted to also support local Tahoe charities every year.”
To be considered, local organizations were required to meet 501(c)3 certified nonprofit status, provide an outline of their mission, describe how the donation would be used, and indicate its impact on the community.
Since 2009, donations exceeding $2.25 million have been distributed to more than 90 Tahoe area non-profits to assist 12,000+ individuals.
The American Century Championship is conducted annually at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev. The area’s largest annual special event features more than 80 sports and entertainment celebrities in a 54-hole competition aired live on NBC Sports. American Century Investments, the event’s title sponsor since 1999, continues its role in partnership with NBC Sports, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and the South Tahoe community. Since its inception in 1990, the American Century Championship has donated more than $8 million to local and national non-profits. For tournament information and updates: AmericanCenturyChampionship.
The 36th annual American Century Championship is July 9-13, 2025. For more information, visit: www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com or www.visitlaketahoe.com.