The Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children held last weekend raised a record $10.4 million for children’s charities, bringing to $100.9 million the money raised since Valero became the PGA tournament’s title sponsor in 2002, said Bill Day, Valero’s vice president of communications.
Day said the $10.4 million raised this year is the highest amount in the Valero Texas Open’s history.
“The tournament itself has raised a total of $104.9 million since it was first played in 1922,” he said. Only three other PGA Tour events have surpassed the $100 million mark, he said.
Day said Valero Texas Open funds are raised through a variety of sponsorships of the tournament and its events, such as the Birdies for Charity program and the Benefit for Children.
In those events, more than 2,000 golfers play at 11 courses around San Antonio, Texas, on the day after the conclusion of the Valero Texas Open.
Another fundraiser, a sporting clays tournament that was introduced three years ago, is becoming increasingly popular, Day said. This year, an additional 250 will participate. Funds are distributed later to children’s charities in all of the areas around the country where Valero has major operations, including Benicia.
At last year’s Valero Benicia Refinery presentation a combined $345,000 in grants was distributed to 20 children’s charities, Benicia’s share of the $9 million the events raised in 2014.
“Employee committees at each site nominate deserving charities, who receive their shares of the total in the fall,” Day said.
“We really couldn’t have accomplished this without the generous support of all of our sponsors, as well as our employees, volunteers and golf fans here in San Antonio,” said Valero Executive Vice President Lane Riggs, who also served as the company’s executive for the Valero Texas Open this year.
“And of course, the Greg Norman Production Company and the people here at TPC San Antonio have been truly remarkable,” Riggs said. TPC San Antonio is the course on which the tournament is played.
Jimmy Walker, of Boerne, Texas, won the Valero Texas Open’s $1.1 million purse Sunday, shooting 11 under par. Jordan Spieth, at 7 under par with four straight birdies on the back nine holes, and Billy Horschel, at 4 under par, came in second and third, respectively.
The tournament has been played in San Antonio since 1922, Day said. Since Valero became the title sponsor in 2002, the tournament has become the annual leader in charitable fundraising among PGA Tour events.
Leave a Reply