Category: Blog

Raymond James and the Tampa Bay Rays established the Raymond James Community Impact Award back in 2013 to recognize non-profit organizations that have made a positive impact on the Tampa Bay community. As part of the award, Chi Chi’s Foundation received a $5,000 donation, tickets for the Press Box Suite during a home game as well as a pre-game interview with the Rays Radio Network discussing our mission. On September 30th, Superintendent Eric Dixon and Director of Development Mallory Hubbard joined Raymond James Senior Vice President Doug Brigman on the field for a check presentation to the five Community Impact Award Winners (Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club of Tampa Bay, Ronald McDonald House, and the YMCA). Chi Chi’s team along with the other award winners also took part in a ceremonial first pitch!

   

*Photos: Top: Academy Executive Committee members, supporters and Chi Chi team members with their families enjoyed the June 24th game in the Press Box; Middle Left: Mallory Hubbard throws the Ceremonial First Pitch to Eric Dixon with the other four charities; Middle Right: Eric Dixon, Mallory Hubbard and Board Finance Advisor Chris Butler pose with the check; Bottom: Neil Solondz interviews COO James Poulter and Director of Development Mallory Hubbard about our mission for children.

  Sonya is a freshman at Palm Harbor University High School and has been participating with The First Tee of Clearwater for over five years. She is one of only four participants who has reached BIRDIE certified level and will begin Eagle level this school year. Throughout her years as a participant, Sonya and her younger brother Joey have volunteered during Summer Camp and many of the Foundation’s fundraising events. In 2014, she started the Ambassador program where students demonstrate the Nine Core Values on and off the Course and commit to finishing Eagle level certification. In March, she participated in her third year as a Standard Bearer during the Valspar Championship, our only student to do so three years in a row. Our grateful thanks to the many supporters who gave Sonya her incredible opportunity through The First Tee programming.

The First Tee welcomed 267 campers for the Life Skills Experience this summer! Instruction is based on an introduction to the game of golf plus core values and life skills seamlessly incorporated throughout each lesson. Students enjoyed course time at least one day each week, along with driving range access and many fun games. Thanks to grantors like the Florida Junior Golf Council, Pinellas County Business Technology Services, Paradise Golf and the Salvatore Mascari Family Fund, we offered camp at a discounted rate to all families and provided 51 scholarships for youth in need!    

Fifteen golfers represented The First Tee of Clearwater throughout the summer in PGA Jr. League Matches. The League is a fun, social and inclusive opportunity for children 13 and under to play on a team. Students have competed against Ace Golf, Belleair and Westchase both at the Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Club and other courses in the Tampa Bay Area. Most of the team’s golfers are also in The First Tee’s PAR and BIRDIE Saturday classes during the fall and spring learning interpersonal communications and self-management skills through golf. Congrats on a great season team!

 In May, we said goodbye to an amazing 8th grade class as they continue on their Journey to Success with high school.  During graduation, each student spoke about their time at Chi Chi’s and thanked those who supported them.  Academy Executive Committee Member Scott Brown awarded two Higher Learning Scholarships to Kyra and Ta’miya.  The scholarship recognizes high achieving students with up to $4,000 each for college or other higher learning post high school graduation.  We look forward to watching them grow through their high school years.  Congratulations class of 2017, we know you will make us proud!

The Foundation is hard at work making capital improvements, with the mission to provide a unique learning environment that’s safe for our students. This May, over 30 volunteers from Nielsen in Oldsmar came to work at Chi Chi’s for Nielsen Global Impact Day!  Projects included painting all Grounds Maintenance buildings, the new sand bin, course hole signs and tee box markers.  This day completed the major renovations at the Grounds Maintenance area, including a new equipment wash pad, chemical shed, landscaping and building repairs.  Students took time to meet the volunteers and see the valuable lesson in giving back to your community.

Following with the Valspar Championship tradition during The First Tee day, nine students got an up close and personal experience with some of the best golfers in the world as Standard Bearers, including Matt Kucher, Bill Haas and Ian Poulter. Throughout the round, the Pros in their groups spent time talking to the students and giving them autographed items and posing for pictures with them following the round. Thank you Valspar Championship for providing our students such an amazing experience to learn more about the game they love and role models whom they can respect and emulate. Special recognition to Bimbo Bakeries USA for volunteering as all day chaperones to these lucky participants!        

During the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort Academy sponsors were paired with a PGA or LPGA Pro on the prestigious South Course. Following play a lunch in the Snake Pit Club overlooking the 17th green of the Copperhead featured a lively auction hosted by News Channel 8’s Jenn Holloway where a trip to Park City, Utah and the Abaco Club, Bahamas, plus other fun items were up for bid. Chairman of the Foundation’s Board, Tom James presented Co-Chair Mark Carron with a plaque honoring his ten years of dedication to leading this event. Over the past decade it has netted over $1 ½ million dollars for Foundation educational programs from generous sponsors. It is leaders like Mark who make our special events possible. Co-Chairs Vin Campagnoli and Mark Carron happily announced the event raised a net amount of $174,000 that will fund 35 Academy students for the school year. This includes support services such as The First Tee Life Skills Experience that teaches the 9 Core Values & 9 Healthy Habits through golf, plus the gardening and student shadow time that all play key roles in driving academic success. These services enhance their classroom learning and social skills while preparing them to graduate high school. Thank you to Presenting Sponsor Raymond James and Co-Title Sponsors Ohio National Financial Services and RSM!     

The National Course of the Year Award honors a member demonstrating four criteria: exceptional quality of the course, exceptional quality of ownership and management, outstanding contribution to its community and significant contribution to the game. The Course of the Year Award winners come from the NGCOA’s core membership, which make an outstanding contribution to the sport in their markets and are model operations to their peers. This year’s finalists included: The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort (Indiana) who won, Canoe Brook Country Club (New Jersey), Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Club (Florida) and Poppy Hills Golf Course (California). It is a proud moment for our team to be recognized nationally in such prestigious company as these courses. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu6oX6eaduc&t=4s    

In January, The First Tee Coach Camille Surdi started LPGA-USGA Girls Golf with 12 participants. The program’s philosophy is that girls learning the game of golf in an environment with other girls are free to be themselves and learn at their own pace. We believe girls can do and be anything to which they set their minds. With more than 270 programs in communities across the country, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf is a networking of 62,000+ girls ages 7-17. Classes will be based on the 5 E’s of Girls Golf: – EMPOWER girls by teaching them a game they can play and enjoy for a lifetime – ENRICH their lives by expanding their minds and giving them the confidence to dream big and accomplish their goals – ENGAGE girls with strong female role models and inspire them to make a difference in their communities – ENERGIZE them with our vitality and enthusiasm sharing our love for the game – EXERCISE their minds and bodies to help them realize and unlock their true potential The program takes place from 4:30 to 5:30pm on Wednesdays at the Chi Chi Golf & Family Sports Complex. The cost is $50 including a 5 week session and an LPGA-UGSA Girls Golf Membership. For more information, please contact Coach Camille at [email protected].  

A big Thank You to City of Dunedin Vice Mayor Bruce Livingston for joining the festivities and being a supporter of this program that teaches youngsters life-skills in a fun way. His was an important voice in forming the successful match between Chi Chi‘s and Dunedin.  The celebration featured The First Tee participants enjoying a golf lesson, food by Bimbo Bakeries USA and McDonalds, as well as Kona Ice to cool off in this hot Florida sun!