FORT WORTH, Texas -- Another successful Birdies for Charity campaign has driven total charity impact from the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge past the $14 million mark for the second straight year. Leading up to the 2019 PGA TOUR event at Colonial Country Club, local non-profit groups worked to secure pledges from friends and businesses for the tournament’s annual fundraising campaign. Then the pros did their part by making 1,111 birdies during the championship. The combined effort resulted in more than $13 million being raised for local organizations just from the tournament’s Birdies For Charity campaign alone.

The dollars realized from this Birdies campaign are a major part of the larger final impact figure of $14 million generated for dozens of charities throughout this year from other tournament community service activities and initiatives. On Thursday, Colonial officials and the 33 Birdies charities gathered to celebrate the year’s success.

“It is a tremendous joy to be able to work with and support so many great charities in the Tarrant County area,” declared Colonial Tournament Chairman Rob Hood. “Many of these organizations have been with us for more than 10 years, and we feel we have had a truly meaningful impact on their success in serving others.”

The 73-year-old championship has generated cash and services for more than 150 different organizations in the last two decades surpassing $130 million. The breadth of donations focus on children and support a variety of programs, including camp scholarships for disabled, special needs or low-income children, residency programs/services for abused, neglected and at-risk children, cultural programs/field trips for underserved students, college scholarships, educational mentoring programs, medical diagnostic and treatment services for disabled and low-income children, after- school programs, support services for homeless families and more.

Military-related charities are also a significant part of the tournament’s activities, including Military Warriors Support Foundation and their Homes4WoundedHeroes program. Colonial has helped donate 16 homes to injured veterans in recent years.

“Utilizing our tournament to help bolster community service initiatives is an important part of our mission,” said Colonial President Kip Adams. “We appreciate the many individuals and businesses who support our efforts and help us generate dollars for these local charities.”

Colonial’s new sponsor, Charles Schwab, is a big supporter of youth golf, and during this year’s tournament Mr. Schwab donated $5 million to the First Tee chapters of Texas. That is just one example of how the event can drive charity dollars from a variety of sources, to great effect.

Of the PGA TOUR events staging Birdies For Charity campaigns, Colonial’s $13 million figure this year is one of the largest on TOUR. Since the program’s inception locally in 2005, the annual Birdies campaign has generated more than $99 million for participating charities. As a bonus, the Birdies For Charity pledges were energized by a matching fund of $275,000. Thirty-three local non- profit organizations and their volunteers led the Birdies For Charity to success.

These groups are:

ACH Child and Family Services

Alliance for Children

Baylor Scott & White All Saints Health Foundation Boys & Girls Clubs of Tarrant County

Camp Fire USA First Texas Council

Cancer Care Services

CASA of Tarrant County

Cassata High School

Child Study Center

Communities in Schools of Tarrant County Community Storehouse

Cornerstone Assistance Network

The First Tee of Fort Worth

Fort Worth Museum of Science & History

Fort Worth Youth Orchestra

The Gatehouse

Gill Children’s Services

Happy Hill Farm Academy

HOPE Farm, Inc

Imagination Fort Worth

Kids Who Care

Komen Greater Fort Worth

Lena Pope

Lighthouse for the Blind Presbyterian Night Shelter Recovery Resource Council

Ronald McDonald House SafeHaven of Tarrant County Texas Health Resources Foundation Texas Wesleyan University

The WARM Place

A Wish With Wings

YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth