I was thrilled to spend the closing day of the PGA tournament at Oakland Hills Sunday in toasty PGA Foundation chalet #35, right on the chilly and windy 18th fairway. I owe my cushy and oh-so-comfortable surroundings to client and friend Cynthia Kidder (www.bandofangels.com).
The PGA folks know a winner when they see one, both on and off the course. That's why they have generously supported Cynthia Kidders' efforts with Band of Angels since she first met the acquaintace of Earnie Ellison, the PGA Foundation's business development guru (not PR guru, but he's pretty good at that, too) at the 2004 Ryder Cup.
I had the privilege of meeting and chatting at length with Earnie yesterday and was incredibly impressed with this warm, elegant man who loves golf but, even more important, loves what golf can do for underprivileged kids, kids with special needs, at-risk kids and charities that support kids - and adults. For Earnie, it's all about measuring the economic impact of golf and leveraging some of that economic impact to support worthwhile charities. That's what the PGA Foundation does and they do it sincerely and consistently, giving approximately 10% of PGA tournament earnings to important local causes, large and small. Of course, they hope to expand the game of golf and interest in the sport through their charitable giving, but that's fine. Corporate charity has a substantial, legitimate business component.
Professional golf does so many things right, steering clear of scandal, bad manners and negativity. After meeting with Earnie yesterday, I have a better idea of how they maintain their sterling reputation.
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