Fry’s Electronics Executive Vice President and co-founder Kathy Kolder announced today that the 2009 Frys.com Open, an official event on the PGA TOUR, raised a total of $670,500 from tournament proceeds which will be distributed to a number of designated charities.
“The 2009 edition of the Frys.com Open was absolutely fantastic,” Kolder said. “We had an exciting finish and have a great champion in Troy Matteson. We couldn’t have asked for a better week and we are thrilled that we exceeded our charitable contribution from last year.”
The tournament raised $600,000 in 2008, and in its three year history has raised more than $1.7 million for charity.
A majority of the money has already been earmarked for specific charities. The American Institute of Mathematics (AIM), a Palo Alto, Calif.-based organization whose chief goal is to expand the frontiers of mathematical knowledge by funding focused research projects, conferences and the development of an on-line mathematics library, will receive $305,000. Thunderbirds Charities, the non-profit arm of The Thunderbirds, will receive $150,000; while $100,000 will be donated to Kirk Triplett’s Fore Adoption Foundation.
Other beneficiaries include the World Golf Foundation ($50,000), Helping Hands Housing Services ($25,000), the Boys and Girls Club of Scottsdale ($10,000), St. Mary’s Food Bank ($10,000) and the Southwest Section PGA Foundation ($10,000). The remaining $10,500 will be distributed to other local Valley charities.
This was the second straight year the Frys.com Open was decided in a playoff. Matteson set a new PGA TOUR 36-hole scoring record with consecutive 9-under 61’s in the second and third rounds, and held off young guns Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark with a birdie on the second playoff hole to earn his second career PGA TOUR victory (his first win came in the 2006 Frys.com Open in Las Vegas).
If you would like to make a donation to any of the Frys.com Open sponsored charities contact Tournament Director Ian Knight at IanKnight@pgatourhq.com or call 415-260-5979.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS (AIM)
Proceeds from the 2010 Frys.com Open also will benefit the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM), a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 in Palo Alto, Calif. AIM’s chief goal is to expand the frontiers of mathematical knowledge by funding focused research projects, conferences and the development of an online mathematics library. AIM also is interested in helping to preserve the history of mathematics through the acquisition and preservation of rare mathematical books and documents and making these resources available to scholars of mathematical history.
FORE ADOPTION FOUNDATION
The Frys.com Open is a proud supporter of the Fore Adoption Foundation, an organization created by PGA TOUR golfer Kirk Triplett and his wife Cathi to help bring together adoptable children in foster care with families willing and able to adopt a child. The goals of the Fore Adoption Foundation are to share with the community the process of adoption and foster, to encourage families to consider sharing their good fortunes through adoption, and to provide financial assistance to specific families to offset initial adoption expenses.
To date, the Fore Adoption Foundation has featured 55 children on television segments, with 36 of those children being adopted. Additionally, 30 children were featured on the website, with 17 being adopted. That’s a success rate of more than 50 percent (the typical adoption rate is approximately 15-20 percent).
The 2009 Frys.com Open hosted a special Monday pro-am to benefit the Fore Adoption Foundation.
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