Myrtle Beach Classic Makes Impact on Local Charities

The first-ever PGA TOUR event in Myrtle Beach made a profound impact on several local charities. Hear from some of the recipients of Myrtle Beach Classic donations to see how these vital funds will affect their life-changing work moving forward.

Tracy Gardner:

Whenever you get funding like this, it’s huge. It impacts us greatly.

Darren Nelson:

It’s really the mission of the PGA TOUR to leave a legacy in each market that they host a PGA TOUR event. Since the 1960s when the PGA TOUR started, they have given back almost $4 billion to local charities.

We were excited when the event was announced here, because we knew they were going to have a similar impact here in Myrtle Beach and on the Grand Strand, and we chose nine charities for year one.

Tracy Conner:

The great thing is those same nine charities are going to receive gifts next year, and we are contracted for two years beyond that for the Myrtle Beach Classic.

Dr. Carol Rahter:

We opened up the first Children’s Recovery Center in 1998. We assess for all types of child maltreatment, because where there’s one type of maltreatment, there’s also another type of maltreatment, and then we try to get these kids therapy so that they can grow up to be functional adults.

Ryan Grace:

Everything we do is to give those kids a leg up in life. I know everybody might not want to go to college, but there’s different skills and trades that you can get involved in. We will definitely instill different values into those kids that they may not get at home. They’ll have support systems that they know they can come back and lean on us, and I have kids now who are grown adults in careers, raising families of their own, and they always give the club some credit for that.

And not only the kids benefit, but the families benefit. If a parent needs certain things, we are able to help out with things. I definitely want to be able to get to a point to where if a parent needs financial assistance, then we can help.

Tracy Gardner:

We provide helping with rent, utilities, transportation, getting a South Carolina ID, as well as providing non-cooked food supplies and try to provide assistance and support for people who are homeless.

There is a huge need here. It’s people who are working and still can’t put food on the table or keep a roof over their head. Our numbers have gone up significantly in the past year, almost doubled how many households we’re impacting. Trying to help those people, it’s a whole different world when you see all that and how much need there really is.

Becky Large:

In 2016, we had Surfside Beach declared the first autism-friendly travel destination anywhere in the world, and we had started a training program for the hospitality industry. And it starts with creating more sensory-friendly environments for the people with autism so that the entire family can come out and have a traditional family experience, whether that’s going out to the movies, a meal at a restaurant. We have monthly birthday bowling bashes, visits to aquariums. That means the world to me to have the recognition of our community here in Myrtle Beach and the PGA, and it gives value and meaning and affirms what we’re doing.

Tracy Conner:

Not only are we giving a financial gift, but just highlighting some of the great work for our residents. Hopefully some of our residents will find out about some of these charities, get connected and get involved.

Tracy Gardner:

This type of charitable giving means a lot to us. We were just so grateful to be chosen.

Ryan Grace:

We can just do way more with the money. We can expose more kids to sports. We can expose more kids to healthy lifestyles.

Dr. Carol Rahter:

We have a lot more children that don’t have Medicaid or private insurance, so this will really help with that.

Becky Large:

Keep the organization moving forward and even provide for the movie program and the other things that we’re trying to do.

Darren Nelson:

For me as a tournament director, it’s been one of the best days of the year to be able to see the impact that those charities are having on local communities here. To have that lasting legacy with those charities and the money’s going to go back to improve their programming, it’s just so cool to see and just happy to be a part of that.

Tracy Conner:

We’re very optimistic in year two that we will be able to grow this event. And if that’s the case, our gift will also grow in size.