Parks, Recreation, and Golf
It’s not too hard to see the connections in that trio. However, the basis for this partnership goes a little deeper. For the past 13 years, the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) has joined with the nonprofit Western Golf Association (WGA) and the business community to assist with the largest professional golf tournament in the Midwest - the Western Open at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Illinois.
The Tournament
BMW announced a six-year partnership agreement with the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association (WGA) to create the BMW Championship – the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff tournaments that culminate with the new FedExCup competition that debuts in 2007. The inaugural BMW Championship was played the week of September 3 – 9, 2007 at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Chicago, Illinois. It was also announced that starting in 2008 the BMW Championship will travel to some of the premiere golf courses in the Midwest every other year. The BMW Championship will be played in St. Louis at the Bellerive Country Club in 2008, return to Chicago 2009 and at a yet to be determined location in the Midwest in 2012.
“Chicago is often viewed as America’s top golfing community,” said Richard E. Peterson, Western Golf Association President. “We are looking forward to working with BMW and the PGA TOUR to make the BMW Championship an historic event for players and fans alike. In addition, we are excited about taking the championship to clubs and communities outside of the Chicago area that have long supported the Evans Scholars Program. As we maintain a biennial presence in Chicago, we will have an opportunity to expand support of the championship, and of our scholarship program, in other regions of the Midwest.”
BMW will honor the Western Golf Association’s legacy of significant charitable involvement, working directly with the Evans Scholars Foundation, the largest privately funded college scholarship program for caddies in the nation. Since the first two Scholars enrolled at Northwestern University in 1930, nearly 8,000 outstanding young adults have participated in the program, which provides financial assistance to caddies around the country seeking opportunities to pursue higher education.
In 1950, there were only 84 Scholars enrolled in the Evans Scholars Foundation, but the program grew dramatically thereafter. By the end of the decade, the number of participating Scholars rose to 440. Today, 820 Evans Scholars are enrolled in college. The Foundation, which is referred to as “Golf’s Favorite Charity,” has more than 100,000 annual contributors through the Western Golf Association.
"As a PGA TOUR player, I am extremely excited about BMW’s involvement. In particular, I am very pleased to hear that the new partnership with BMW will mean a significant increase in the level of funding to the Evans Scholars Foundation. As the largest college scholarship program for deserving caddies, the Evans Scholars program is near and dear to my heart and to the hearts of many PGA TOUR players," said Luke Donald. "This partnership is going to be great for the WGA, great for the players, great for the spectators and great for the game of golf."
IPRA’s Role
IPRA’s role in the BMW Championship is to recruit, organize, train, and supervise volunteers who work in the clubhouse, the hospitality areas, gate and ticket operations, and on-course refreshments. IPRA’s solid reputation in the parks and recreation field has resulted in eleven years of peak efficiency, steady volunteer management, creative problem-solving, and superb customer service.
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