Bridgestone The Official Tire Of The PGA TOUR Supports The First TeeDriving to Benefit First Tee exhibit travels to 7 PGA TOUR Events
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 7, 2009) Its all in the swing! Improve your golf game while helping Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) support The First Tee by Driving to Benefit First Tee. Building on previous years success, BATO is again offering PGA TOUR event spectators the chance to see how far they can drive a golf ball. All spectator drives will be converted into miles, and for every mile driven, BATO will donate $25 to The First Tee.
As the Official Tire of the PGA TOUR, the Bridgestone brand is able to reach out to golf fans on their own turf, said Phil Pacsi, Vice President of Consumer Tire Marketing for BATO. This is an opportunity for others to show off their drives and get involved with a great cause that helps young people in their local communities.
In addition to the Driving to Benefit First Tee experience, BATO will also present the Bridgestone Golf Ball Fitting Challenge and a specially designed miniature golf game that will help participants choose the right Bridgestone tire. While fans wait to see which golf ball is best for their game, they can play miniature golf and learn which Bridgestone-brand SUV/Light truck, sedan or performance tire is best for their vehicle.
The First Tee aims to provide young people the opportunity to grow into productive members of society. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through golf.
The First Tee is thankful to Bridgestone Americas, said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of The First Tee. The funds will help offer character building programs through golf and life-skill instructions for young people.
We take pride in our involvement with The First Tee, said Christine Karbowiak, Executive Vice President of Community and Corporate Relations, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. We have a strong commitment to community service which was passed down by our founders, Harvey Firestone and Shojiro Ishibashi. So, as the Firestone Country Club celebrates its 80th birthday, Driving to Benefit First Tee is a great way for us to carry on our legacy of giving. Karbowiak concluded.
BATOs Driving to Benefit First Tee exhibit has already been featured at five PGA TOUR events. After the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational Aug. 6-9, 2009, in Akron, Ohio, the exhibit will be featured in:
Wyndham Championship Aug. 20-23, 2009, in Greensboro, N.C.
THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola Sept. 24-27, 2009, in Atlanta, Ga.
Following THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, BATO will present The First Tee with a check valued at $25 for every mile driven by spectators at the selected events. Last year, that resulted in a donation of $25,000 to The First Tee. Based on great participation, the total donation this year to The First Tee is likely to be even larger.
For a downloadable video of the Bridgestone Golf Ball Hitting Challenge, the Driving to Benefit First Tee, and Harvey Firestone hitting the first tee shot in 1928 at the ceremony commissioning the Firestone Country Club please visit www.bridgestonetire.com.
About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company's Latin American tire operations, the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses and the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.
About The National First Tee Association:
The mission of The First Tee is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. In sustaining this mission, The First Tee of Akron seeks to impart the knowledge and tools necessary for young people to grow, develop and in turn give back as productive members of the community. The National First Tee Association seeks to support, educate and advocate for young people as vital members of the community and potential members of the larger world community.
About the PGA TOUR:
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world. In 2009, the three Tours will compete in 108 events for approximately $355 million in prize money. Tournaments will be held in nine countries outside the U.S. and in 37 states. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours have surpassed the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions. The PGA TOUR's web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.