LAKEWOOD RANCH -- For each of the past nine years, the Manatee and Sarasota County Junior Achievement program has relied heavily on profits from its annual professional-amateur golf tournament.
Proceeds from the tournament account for roughly 50 percent of the yearly operating budget needed to educate nearly 6,000 participating students from 50 schools on advanced economics.
Thanks to a record-setting turnout on Monday at the 10th annual Junior Achievement Pro-Am Invitational at The Ritz-Carlton Members Club golf course, the program can expect to see a 100 percent increase in its budget. The invitational sold out for the first time in its history and all proceeds will benefit the Manatee and Sarasota County Junior Achievement Program.
“We’re anticipating more than $20,000-$30,000 more than we made last year,” said Maggie Haley, executive director for Manatee Sarasota County Junior Achievement. “It’s helping us fill a couple of the bigger holes that we’ve had. With our programing, we’re always looking to increase. The more dollars we get at these, the more programs we can run.”
The tournament made $30,000 last year, Haley said.
Professional golfers from the West Florida Golf Tour were paired with amateurs that included local businessmen and women. Proceeds from registration fees and various sponsorships from amateur players. The pro golfers, which included Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, competed for an $8,000 purse. Amateurs played a “Beat the Pro” challenge while the overall winner received the Junior Achievement Invitational Cup.
“It’s continued to grow each and every year over the last 10 years now,” said Craig Campbell, Junior Achievement board member and chairman of the golf invitational. Campbell, who works for Holland Construction, one of Junior Achievement’s biggest sponsors, was paired with Giuliani.
“A part of the tournament is the education of the people in the tournament to understand what junior achievement does for students in Sarasota and Manatee County,” Campbell said.
The invitational fielded 80 amateur golfers last year, but increased to 117 this year, Haley said. In addition to the pros competing, the total number of golfers totaled 146.
Proceeds from the tournament will pay for classroom programs, primarily for students between the eighth and 12th grades. Classroom curriculum consists of personal finance, entrepreneurship, fiscal responsibility and how to use a credit card.
“It allows them to really see how to create a budget,” Haley said. “How to use that budget, how to save money and how to be a philanthropist as well.”
Three companies purchased sponsorship packages of $6,000.
“Without the event, it would be much more difficult to bring the curriculum into the schools,” Campbell said.
Nick Williams, East Manatee reporter, can be reached at 941-748-0411 ext. 7049. Tweet: @_1NickWilliams
