By Delinda Lombardo on
The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in association with the Stanford Financial Group, kicked off the 2008 Eagles for St. Jude campaign last Friday when Mike Weir sunk the first eagle of the 2008 PGA TOUR season. As part of the Eagles for St. Jude campaign, Stanford will donate $1,000 per eagle for the duration of the season.
Vijay Singh, who serves as an Eagles for St Jude Ambassador, has pledged to donate $5,000 for every eagle he makes on the Tour. This is a major increase from the $1,000 per eagle pledge Vijay made for the 2007 season, during which he made 12 eagles. Although Vijay was slated to donate $12,000 in 2007, he actually gave $50,000, a $38,000 donation above his commitment.
“Making eagles on the Tour takes on a whole new meaning with the Eagles for St. Jude program, because I know my accomplishments help St. Jude achieve its mission to find cures for these special children,” said Singh. “It touches my heart to see these brave kids – they have so much courage to fight. It makes me feel proud every time I make an eagle and it gives me added drive and passion to play my best golf.”
Sir Allen Stanford, Chairman and CEO of Stanford Financial Group, is also ecstatic about the program.
“St. Jude is vital in the battle against catastrophic childhood diseases and we want the world to know it,” he said. “It is our hope that the Eagles for St. Jude program will increase awareness for this special place and encourage golf fans and those who support St. Jude to donate to this worthy cause.”
“Eagles for St. Jude is a wonderfully unique program that shows Stanford’s amazing commitment to the kids of St. Jude,” said John P. Moses, CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. “It will be thrilling to watch the eagles accumulating throughout the PGA TOUR, knowing that each one will help support St. Jude’s ground-breaking research and life-saving care.”
Several options are available for members of the public who would like to participate in the Eagles for St. Jude program. People can make a donation to St. Jude for every eagle made by Vijay Singh, make a donation to St. Jude for every eagle made on the Tour, or just make a one-time donation to St. Jude by visiting their website: http://www.eaglesforstjude.com.
In 2007, Stanford Financial Group assumed the title sponsorship of what was previously known as the FedEx St. Jude Classic and is now named the Stanford St. Jude Championship, a premier PGA TOUR event that has benefited St. Jude since 1970. The Eagles for St. Jude program was created in Stanford’s inaugural sponsorship year out of the desire to provide a season-long fundraising component to the Memphis tournament. During the 2007 PGA TOUR, 1,222 eagles were made, which resulted in Stanford donating $1,222,000 to St. Jude for the Eagles program.
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
