American Century Championship awards $125,000 to Lake Tahoe nonprofits

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – One of the most successful tournaments in the 33-year history of the American Century Championship celebrated another annual tradition, as the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (LTVA) distributed $125,000 in funds as a result of the July event to 26 South Lake Tahoe area non-profit organizations.

As the tournament’s destination marketing organization 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.

“To be able to assist so many area groups that do so much for our community is especially gratifying for the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority,” 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 continues to lend itself to the betterment of the area. The tournament wouldn’t be possible without all of our incredible partners including the host venue of Edgewood Tahoe and all of our lodging and casino partners.”

Grants were distributed to American Legion Post 795, Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, Bread & Broth, Clean Up The Lake, Drug Store Project, El Dorado County Search and Rescue, Encompass Youth, Heavenly Ski Patrol Fund, Hope Lutheran Church of the Sierra, Human Good, Lake Tahoe Epic Curling, Lake Tahoe Shining Stars, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Live Violence Free, Mountain High Recovery Center, South Tahoe Babe Ruth Baseball, Suicide Prevention Network, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, Tahoe Arts Project, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Tahoe magic, Tahoe Prosperity Center, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Valhalla Tahoe, Whittell Boosters Club, and Zephyr Cove Parents Club.

To be considered, local organizations were required to meet 501(c)3 certified nonprofit guidelines, provide an outline of their mission, 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 85 Tahoe area non-profits to assist 12,000+ individuals.

The July event established numerous benchmarks including:

- Strongest celebrity field ever with Stephen Curry, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Timberlake, Josh Allen, Charles Barkley, Aaron Rodgers, Annika Sorenstam, Tony Romo, Miles Teller, Nick Jonas, Colin Jost among the 80+ players
- Most dramatic finish with Tony Romo winning a three-way playoff
- Record TV ratings with 18 hours of coverage across NBC and Golf Channel platforms with desirable coverage and messaging of Tahoe: spectacular beauty, recreational attributes, the combined appeal of celebrities, nightlife and entertainment to showcase only in Tahoe experiences
- Record attendance of 67,000
- Estimated economic value of $40 million for the area
- Publicity value of $129 million
- Audience reach of 4.7 billion

Since its inception in 1990, the American Century Championship has donated more than $6 million to local and national non-profits.

The 34th annual American Century Championship is July 12-16, 2023. For more information, visit: www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com or www.VisitLakeTahoe.com.