As winter turns to spring in South Florida (do we have a winter?), the finest golfers in the world gather in Palm Beach County to…. make the community better? Yes…read that again…because you read it correctly. The best golfers in the world come to PGA National Resort & Spa for The Honda Classic…and their efforts have raised millions of dollars to support local charities. Oh, by the way …. The Honda Classic is a golf tournament too. In fact, it is a wildly entertaining and competitive golf tournament (voted the Most Fan Friendly Tournament on the entire PGA…thank you very much…)
Serving children in Palm Beach County is what drives The Honda Classic and The Honda Classic Cares team. Leading the course is Ken Kennerly, Executive Director, and Andrew George, Tournament Director, whose combined vision is to continue to grow the event and provide greater support for our entire community.
“While the tournament strives to provide Palm Beach County with a premier professional sporting event, our ultimate goal is to positively impact the youth in our community. This year might be our greatest accomplishment from a charity perspective,” Kennerly said. “We are very proud of what we have been able to achieve and couldn’t be more thankful to those who helped us make it happen. The work of Honda Classic Cares is equally important to us as the tournament itself because of the lives we are able to touch.”
The Honda Classic Cares is the philanthropic arm of The Honda Classic, which contributes the net proceeds from the annual golf tournament and special event programs. This past year alone, 100 charities were awarded $5,100,000. Even a global pandemic can’t stop the charitable giving of The Honda Classic …and The Honda Classic Cares. Oh, by the way … The Honda Classic is a golf tournament too…
The Honda Classic has played a key role in The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County’s expansion goals set for Red Apple Supplies. In 2019, due to the generosity of The Honda Classic Cares program, the Education Foundation added five Title 1 schools to Red Apple Supplies’ operations, which allowed the Education Foundation to serve more schools and welcome more teachers to shop for FREE resources and materials for their classrooms. With 68% of schools throughout The School District of Palm Beach County being designated as Title I, this effort has saved a multitude of teachers thousands of dollars they would have otherwise used from their personal finances to equip their students with the basic supplies to participate in-class assignments and homework. Oh, by the way … The Honda Classic is a golf tournament too…
In April 2021, funding support by The Honda Classic, along with The Batchelor Foundation and The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, allowed the Education Foundation to purchase a box truck. Now able to accept larger donations…and then deliver them to our local schools, Red Apple Supplies distributed over $1,000,000 in school supplies last year. At the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year, Red Apple Supplies served 63 Title I schools, with an estimated impact on 3,698 teachers and 50,502 students by equipping them with the necessary supplies and resources needed to excel to excellence. By focusing on our Title 1 Schools, The Education Foundation is bridging the gap…and bringing equity of opportunity to all students in Palm Beach County. Oh, by the way…The Honda Classic is a golf tournament too…
The CouTOURe Club, The Honda Classic Cares volunteer component started by Kelly Kennerly is a mighty team of 100+ community-minded women who volunteer a countless number of hours for the good of nonprofit organizations in our community. The Junior CouTOURe Club was also established to expose the younger generations to implementing service in their daily lives. Red Apple Supplies has been a recipient of these future leaders’ time and talent.
Hundreds of charities, including the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, are given the opportunity to partner with The Honda Classic through its American Honda Birdies for Children program. The community can win a new Honda automobile through a nominal donation and a guess of the number of total birdies that will take place during the annual Honda Classic Golf Tournament. At the same time, the charity benefits from the proceeds plus a 5% matching contribution courtesy of The Honda Classic. More than $16 million had been raised through this type of partnership since its inception in 2010. The Education Foundation is honored to be one of these benefitting charities. Oh by the way …The Honda Classic is a golf tournament too…
If you would like to join The Honda Classic and so many other companies and businesses in our community and become a Champion of Education, drop us a note…and we can set up a tee time to get you on course to make our public schools the best in Florida. The Honda Classic’s impact in the world of education is in full swing and will continue to change lives in Palm Beach County for years to come. Oh, by the way…The Honda Classic is a golf tournament too…
