Sept. 21, 2023 (SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif/Nev.) – The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority distributed $121,250 in funds to 52 area non-profit organizations as a result of the 34th annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.
As the tournament’s destination sponsor, the LTVA is responsible for the South Shore’s most impactful special event, coordinating with partners NBC Sports and American Century Investments, to ensure a successful and memorable experience for fans, locals, celebrities and media.
“It’s an annual tradition where we can help support many organizations that enrich our community,” said Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “Our partnership and relationship with both American Century Investments and NBC Sports through the years is meaningful and impactful. The tournament is only possible with our incredible partners including Edgewood Tahoe and our lodging and casino partners.”
Grants were distributed to American Legion Post 795, Between Horses and Humans, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, Bread & Broth, Carson Valley Arts Council, Carson Valley Health Foundations, CASA El Dorado, Christmas Cheer, Clean Tahoe Program, Clean Up The Lake, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, El Dorado Community Foundation, El Dorado County Search and Rescue, Encompass Youth, Food Bank of El Dorado County, Heavenly Valley Ski Foundation, Inc., Hope Lutheran Church of the Sierra, Kiwanis Community Organization, Inc., Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, Lake Tahoe Epic Curling, Lake Tahoe Historical Society, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Lift Literature, Live Violence Free, Partnership Douglas County, Inc., Phoenix Food Pantry, Project Prom of Northern Nevada, Rescued Hearts Ranch, Saint Joseph Community Land Trust, Sierra Child and Family Services, South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, South Tahoe Parks Foundation, Suicide Prevention Network Ltd, Tahoe Art League, Tahoe Arts Project, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, Tahoe Cares, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Tahoe Learning Haven, Tahoe Magic, Inc., Tahoe Prosperity Center, Tahoe Youth and Family Services, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, Team Tahoe/Bike Tahoe, The Foundation for Douglas County Recreation & Senior Center, The Sugar Pine Foundation, Valhalla Tahoe, Whittell High School Boosters Club Inc. and Zephyr Cove Elementary School Parents Club.
To be considered, local organizations were required to meet 501(c)3 certified nonprofit guidelines, provide an outline of their mission, and describe how the donation would be used and indicate its impact in the community.
Since 2009, donations exceeding $2 million have been distributed to more than 100 area non-profits to assist 13,000+ individuals.
The July event established numerous benchmarks including:
- Golf’s preeminent celebrity tournament hosted a field of 92 stars including Steph Curry, Tony Romo, Charles Barkley, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, John Elway, Annika Sorenstam, Miles Teller, Mardy Fish, Joe Pavelski, 17 sports Hall of Famers and dozens of All-Stars, as well as Grammy and Emmy award-winning entertainers, comedians and actors.
- Television ratings for the tournament on NBC Sports delivered the largest Sunday audience for the event since 2004 across NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock, peaking at 2.6 million views in the last 15 minutes of the broadcast.
- Curry’s hole-in-one coverage via social media yielded more than 30 million impressions.
- The gallery of 76,810 also established a new attendance record.
- A publicity value of $251 million.
- Total viewership audience/impressions: 14.3 billion.
Since its inception in 1990, the American Century Championship has donated more than $7 million to local and national non-profits. In 2023, American Century Investments celebrated its 25th anniversary as the tournament’s title sponsor, one of the longest associations in golf, and just prior to the event signed a six-year extension with NBC taking it through 2029 to the tournament’s 40th anniversary.
The 35th annual American Century Championship is July 10-14, 2024. For more information, visit: www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com or www.VisitLakeTahoe.com.
Contact: Phil Weidinger, Weidinger Public Relations, 775-588-2412, dinger@weidingerpr.com.
The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority distributed $121,250 total in funds from American Century Championship. The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (pictured) was awarded funding for their helicopter fund. (Pictured L-R: Jessica Garrison, Scott Lindgren, Jerry Bindel (LTVA Board Chairman), Tod McMichael (American Century Investments), Tracker, Kris Rowlett and Michelle Turner.)
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About American Century Investments – Tournament Title Sponsor
American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments’ 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Frankfurt; Hong Kong; Sydney; Santa Clara, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40% of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, nonprofit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40% of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.8 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com.
About the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Lake Tahoe was recently designated No. 24 in the World Top 100 Golf Destinations for the best combination of experiences: spectacular golf, dining, attractions, resorts, culture by GolfPass. Visit Lake Tahoe combines the distinctive appeal of two worlds: unparalleled natural beauty and an array of world-class outdoor recreation, entertainment, nightlife and gaming. As a responsible tourism destination, it offers a balanced approach regarding social and environmental impacts to preserve its appeal for generations. For information about lodging, recreation, events, and mindful travelat Visit Lake Tahoe, call 1-800-288-2463 or log onto www.VisitLakeTahoe.com.
About NBC Sports Group
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 10 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.
