VOA常速英语:Golfers Score Hole in One for Charitable Causes

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Virtually every week, from January through November, the Professional Golfers Association - the PGA - holds a tournament. Whether on a desert course or on cliffs overlooking the ocean, over rolling hills or down tree-lined fairways, throngs of golf fans crowd the course to watch their favorite players. With narrowed eyes and furrowed brows, golfers study their approach shots intently, and fidget over long putts that could make or break their careers.

As the golfers compete for thousands of dollars in prize money on the course, behind the scenes, thousands of dollars are being raised for local charities; nearly $1.4 billion since 1938. Tournament by tournament, week by week, funds flow into mostly local charities. At the Children's Miracle Network Classic, however, the set-up is a little different. At this tournament, played on two courses at the Walt Disney World resort outside Orlando, the sponsor is the charity.

Rick George, chief of operations for the PGA Tour, says he knows why a charitable foundation hoping to raise money would pay money to attach its name to a sporting event. "They're receiving a lot of publicity. They're on Golf Channel for four days, it's distributed into 200 countries around the world."

Money well spent

George points to the value of that attention in raising appreciation - among donors and the general public - of what the Children's Miracle Network does. "It's a different model [of fund-raising], but it's one that brings them a tremendous amount of brand awareness, charitable awareness, for the work that they do."

Craig Sorenson, Chief Marketing Officer for the Children's Miracle Network, agrees. He says the benefits of the three-year partnership with Disney and the PGA Tour have more than compensated for the cost of sponsorship. "No children's cause helps more kids than children's hospitals. Every year, our children's hospitals that we work with help more than 17-million kids. And so the tournament helps us spread that awareness."

Sponsoring the event also allows the foundation to invite their corporate partners that raise funds for it to attend. It also gives provides an opportunity to attract and identify potential new partners. "So while the golf tournament isn't the only thing we do," Sorenson explains, "the Classic is one of those things that helps us build our brand and build awareness for our cause."

Raising money and spirits

Each year, some of the kids who've been helped by Children's Miracle Network hospitals have the chance to mingle or even play with the professionals during the Pro-Am portion of the tournament.

Four years ago, then-10-year-old Nathan Reich was paralyzed after being struck in the head by an errant golf ball. But after undergoing extensive therapy in a children's hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, he's excited about playing with the pros at this event.

Speaking to reporters before the tournament, Nathan had an inspirational message for other kids: "never give up, anything is possible, you can do anything you want."

The Children's Miracle Network began as a telethon in the early 1980's, and has grown to include thousands of local and national fund-raising events for 170 children's hospitals in North America. Officials expect to raise over $240 million this year, and the international attention garnered by this high-profile golf tournament has an important part to play in achieving that goal.