Birdies program benefits two Vicksburg charities|[9/25/06]
Published 12:00 am Monday, September 25, 2006
Golfers from the PGA won’t be the only winners at Annandale Golf Club this week when the Southern Farm Bureau Classic tees off Thursday.
Two Vicksburg charities – the Vicksburg Lions Club and the Women’s Restoration Shelter/Mountain of Faith – are participants in the Southern Farm Bureau’s Birdies for Charity program. The Century Club Charities in conjunction with the SFBC, sponsors the program that helps Mississippi-based charities by offering a one cent or more donation for every birdie made in the four-day PGA Tour event.
The Birdies for Charity program has been a big fundraiser for the Vicksburg Lions Club said former club president, William Matthews.
“It’s become one of our biggest moneymakers and that includes Riverfest in the spring and our fruit sale at Christmas,” Matthews said.
The Lions Club has done so well with its donations, that have earned bonuses from the program the past four years.
“Last year, the Vicksburg Lions Club raised $12,000 and that ranked second of all the charities in the program in the state. Because of that, we were able to add another $5,000 to their total,” said SFBC publicist Courtney Caldwell.
“We’ve come in second place for the past two years,” Matthews added.
One of the reasons why the program has worked so well is that Century Club does most of the work.
“The Century Club comes up with the pledge forms and they handle the individual pledges,” Matthews said. “For ever number of birdies made in the tournament, they get a penny or a nickel. A lot people like to just give a one-time donation and just try and guess the number of birdies that will be made.”