Jun 24, 2020
Honda Classic awards record-setting $5.35 million to 103 South Florida charities

By Staff Report
Courtesy of The Palm Beach Post

The money is being distributed during Honda Classic Cares Week, which starts Monday and is being held virtually for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Honda Classic is awarding a record-shattering $5.35 million to 103 South Florida philanthropic organizations in 2020, the 14th consecutive year that the PGA Tour event has been able to increase its impact on the lives of local children and their families.

The Honda Classic has now surpassed $50 million in charitable contributions as American Honda approaches its 40th year as title sponsor of the event, including almost $35 million in the 14 years since Children’s Healthcare Charity, Inc. became the host organization and moved the event to PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens. The $5.35 million is up from the $5.1 million distributed in 2019 and is impacting more than 91,000 children and their families this year in Palm Beach County.

The money is being distributed during Honda Classic Cares Week, which starts Monday and is being held virtually for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament’s annual Celebration of Philanthropy on Thursday will also be held via WebEx with a virtual drawing taking place among four finalists in the Birdies for Children program for a new 2020 Honda Insight Hybrid vehicle. Fans donate each year for the chance to guess the number of birdies in the tournament. Forty-seven entrants each correctly guessed the total of 1,172 birdies recorded at the 2020 Honda Classic. The field is being pared via drawing to four individuals who will participate in the virtual event to determine a winner.

“We are very proud of what we have been able to achieve with another record distribution to so many charities which benefit children in the Palm Beach County area,” Honda Classic Executive Director Kenneth R. Kennerly said. “But while we feel that it is fine to celebrate this success, our hearts and prayers go out to everybody suffering through these tough times and we don’t want to overshadow the tremendous need of those people and their families.

“We hope that this $5.35 million touches a great number of them. We were fortunate that we were able to hold our tournament two weeks before the world shut down.”

The $5.35 million being awarded includes a grant of $1.4 million to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the fifth-consecutive year the Foundation has received more than $1 million from Honda Classic Cares.

“That’s fantastic,” Jack Nicklaus said. “Honda is the longest-running sponsor on the PGA Tour and has been such a great sponsor. We are all indebted and appreciate everything that The Honda Classic does year after year.”

“The Honda Classic moving to Palm Beach County was the catalyst to us starting the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation,” Barbara Nicklaus said. “We are so proud to be involved. More than $1 million for each of the last five years has impacted a lot of families through the Foundation and will continue to do so.”