While it may not yet be known which PGA legend will leave Boca Raton with the coveted 2013 Allianz Championship trophy and share of the $1.8 million purse until the final round concludes on Sunday, February 10th, it is already clear who the real champions will be: the greater Boca Raton community and area businesses. As 70,000 spectators; 600+ volunteers, 50+ golf legends such as Corey Pavin, Tom Lehman, Bernhard Langer, Mark Calcavecchia, and Fuzzy Zoeller and more descend on Boca Raton, the impact on local charities and the economy will greatly ascend.
Tournament Director Ryan Dillon sees the big picture. “The goal each year is simple: to showcase and promote the City of Boca Raton by producing a premiere event that increases business and awareness for the tournament and its main beneficiary – the Boca Raton Regional Hospital,” said Dillon. He added that the tournament, sponsors, stakeholders, and even Champions Tour players all look forward each year to driving even more charitable support as fellow members of the Boca Raton community.
Boca Raton Champions Golf Charities President and JM Lexus President and General Manager Jim Dunn noted that the longstanding partnership between the Allianz Championship and the Boca Raton community has led to numerous fundraising opportunities for area nonprofits, such as the annual “Birdies Fore Charity” program in which participating nonprofits keep 100% of pledges collected depending on how many “birdies” are made by the players during the three tournament rounds. 2012 participants included 4KIDS of South Florida, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Autism Society of Broward County, Boca Helping Hands and more. Last year, the tournament raised more than $350,000 in net proceeds for the BRCGC and BRRH, a number Dillon would like to see surpassed in 2013.
Produced by the nonprofit BRCGC board that oversees tournament operations, financials and distribution of all charitable funds, the Allianz Championship will continue to “chip-in” big benefits on many levels. Among those who stand to gain the most:
- The City of Boca Raton will be featured in significant regional and national print, broadcast, online and social media as eyes around the globe will view the live coverage by The Golf Channel. More than $1.3 million in media exposure was garnered for Boca Raton on Golf Channel during last year’s tournament, with coverage reaching 4.9 million viewers across 150 million households in 174 countries.
The City is featured in the tournament’s new PGA Champions Tour history-making messaging: “It All Starts In Boca” references that two recently two Allianz Championship champions, Bernhardt Langer and Tom Lehman, went on to win consecutively the yearlong pursuit for the Charles Schwab Cup.
“The tournament continues to be an active part of and an steadfast advocate for the Boca Raton community, not just during tournament week, but all year ‘round,” added Tournament Director Ryan Dillon. “Proud to be part of the last Downtown Boca hosted Travel Rally Road Trip Day with the Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and a sponsor the destination’s Meet Me On The Promenade and St. Patrick’s Day Golf Cart Parade. Enjoyed being a panelist for the Greater Boca Raton Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy, and for bringing more ‘green’ to this beautiful City of Boca Raton.”
- Community Organizations:
- Boca Raton Champions Golf Charities– Raised $300,000 during last year’s tournament.
- Boca Raton Regional Hospital– Where charity funds have been driven for the seven consecutive years the PGA tournament has called The Old Course at Broken Sound Club home. The 2012 tournament delivered, just last month delivered an additional $50,000 to support the BRRH’s Nursing Program. Most recently, BRRH was recognized by Healthgrades®, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization, as a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence™ for the ninth year in a row –
a claim only 34 of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals can make. This prestigious distinction places Boca RatonRegionalHospital among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for clinical performance. This latest accolade for Boca RatonRegionalHospital adds to a growing list of honors. In addition to the 2013 Distinguished Hospital Award, the Hospital is also the recipient of Healthgrades 2013 America’s Best 100 Hospitals for Cardiac Care and Gastrointestinal Care for the second consecutive year.
- Boca Helping Hands– For the first time, all leftover foods will be donated from tournament catering to this vital community-based 501(c)(3) organization that serves nutritious hot lunches three days a week and gives bags of groceries to families in need. The Food Program has expanded to six days a week with a Family Night Dinner on Thursdays. Meals are also delivered to home bound, disabled and elderly individuals. The organization opened a Resource Center in April 2002 with a focus on providing help for people in crisis situations (e.g., eviction, utility cancellation, prescription medication).
- Area Businesses– Received $15 million in economic impact to restaurants, retailers, rental cars, local groceries and produce suppliers, temporary jobs, etc.
- Hotels– The 2012 tournament delivered 1,800 hotel rooms and 2,700 room nights.
- Sponsors– Demonstrating the value of brand engagement and activation with the tournament, several regional and national brands have been sponsors of the Allianz Championship for seven consecutive years, since the tournament arrived in Boca Raton. Seven-year sponsors include Allianz Life of North America, Insperity, JM Lexus (official vehicle of the tournament), City of Boca Raton, 3M, Palm Beach County Sports Commission, Penn Florida Companies, Flagler Development, Kaye Communications, Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Office Depot. Many multi-year partners and sponsors also support the Allianz Championship in the community, including Florida Atlantic University and the Boca Raton Bridge Hotel (presenting sponsor of the “Grapes On The Green” Golf & Wine Experience).
“The last three years at the hotel, we’ve been fortunate to have over 1,200 room nights of business directly related to the [Allianz Championship] tournament,” said John Valence, Senior Sales Manager at the Wyndham Hotel Boca Raton.
“The city is bustling whenever the Allianz Championship is in town, and there is a significant impact on our occupancy before, during and after,” said Greg Kaylor, general manager at the Boca Raton Bridge Hotel. “As presenting sponsor of the ‘Grapes on the Green Golf & Wine Experience’ this year, we’re looking forward to increasing our awareness with our exhibit and event spaces as we showcase our waterfront boutique hotel and our restaurants to these great fan visitors.”
- Volunteers-More than 600 get to be rare opportunity to get “up close and personal” with competing pros and their caddies in a major PGA Champions Tour event, the first of the season.
- The Environment-Through the ambitious on-course Green initiative Allianz Championship launched as part of last year’s tournament operations planning, Dillon reported that the Allianz Championship is now officially “one the greenest golf tournaments” on the PGA Tour. Retaining the Smart Group last year, an organization of ecologists, scientists, educators, and academic researchers who help clients make sound decisions about environmental management, and working in collaboration with partners Broken Sound Club, Southern Waste Systems and the International Green Energy Council, the tournament developed a comprehensive carbon footprint analysis to set green benchmarks. The plan included the education of spectators, players and vendors about the benefits of going green in their daily business and personal spaces.
While plans to “up the game on the green to become even greener” continue in 2013, its 2012 achievements included the following:
- 92% of all tournament waste was recycled
- 30% reduction made in tournament carbon footprint
- 25% reduction made in tournament diesel generators and fuel
- tournament staff used recycled products throughout the year, from business cards to plastic PVC tournament signage.
After the close of the Allianz Championship’s tournament play, a PGA pro will hoist the trophy and pose with an oversized check… but it’s clear who the real winner is. Boca Raton has scored a hole-in-one with this partnership and created a legacy that will have lasting effects on its community for years to come.
Caption: Corey Pavin and BRCGC Board