WM Phoenix Open

MASKS WILL BE IMMEDIATELY DELIVERED TO FIRST RESPONDERS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND CHARITIES ACROSS THE VALLEY

The Thunderbirds, hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, have partnered with NextMed to purchase and distribute more than 100,000 PPE Masks to the Phoenix community as part of the NextMed Cares “Million Mask Project”. Through the help of Innovation Care Partners, the masks will be immediately distributed to first responders, health care workers and charities throughout the Valley.

“The Thunderbirds have been actively seeking ways to assist the community during this time, so when we were approached by NextMed to donate masks it was an easy decision,” said 2021 Tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins. “It literally happened in just days, we said we were on board and a couple of days later the masks were delivered and we started to distribute them immediately. It’s a great thing they are doing for the community and we are proud to partner with NextMed on this project.”

More than 17,000 masks have already been delivered to first responders and post-acute medical facilities, while today masks were delivered to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix. The remaining masks will be delivered this week to other health care workers and charities in need across the Valley.

“I want to give a big thanks to The Thunderbirds for joining us in our ‘Million Mask Project’,” said Scott Hallett, Sales and Marketing Director at NextMed. “It is inspiring to see so many people and organizations come together to help our community, and we are proud to partner with The Thunderbirds to donate more than 100,000 masks to the people who need them the most at this difficult time.”

The 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open will be held at TPC Scottsdale February 1 – 7. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR four times in six years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) to help the tournament gain legendary status for being one the most unique events in golf. The 2021 edition will mark the 86^th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 12^th as the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members.  The Thunderbirds raised a record $14 million for charity from proceeds from the 2020 WM Phoenix Open and have eclipsed $161 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932.  For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.

One-of-a-Kind sports experiences from each organization offered in raffle.

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the lives of Arizonans, 17 leading sports properties across the state of Arizona have formed AZSportsTogether™ in a collective effort to provide emergency relief funding.

Each organization offered a unique, elite-level, “money can’t buy” experience and Arizona residents will purchase raffle tickets for an opportunity to win. Proceeds from raffle tickets sales will be donated to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Participating organizations include the Arizona Bowl, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona State Athletics, University of Arizona Athletics, Cactus Bowl, Cactus League, PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl, Grand Canyon University Athletics, Northern Arizona University Athletics, Phoenix Mercury, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix Rising, Phoenix Suns, Scottsdale Charros and Waste Management Phoenix Open.

“Arizona’s sports organizations are doing tremendous work to support medical professionals, frontline workers, businesses and Arizonans facing hardship due to the COVID-19 health emergency,” said Governor Ducey. “The AZSportsTogether™ initiative will help raise money for the AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund, providing much-needed aid to those in need. My thanks to the partners for coming together to find a unique way to help Arizonans.”

Fans should visit AZSportsTogether.com, where each unique sports package is listed. Raffle entries may be purchased in three price tiers: $100 for 25 tickets, $50 for 5 tickets and $20 for 1 ticket. Fans choose for which prize to place their tickets and winners will be selected at random. All purchases must be made by entrants who are located within the state of Arizona, with an Arizona IP address, at the time of sale.

The AZSportsTogether.com Coronavirus Relief Raffle is accepting entries through May 22.

The AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund provides financial support to organizations working to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in Arizona. The fund focuses in these areas: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline medical personnel; nonprofit organizations that support the most vulnerable Arizonans through food banks, homeless shelters, domestic violence facilities, and other services; provide low- income students with technology for online learning.

Prize Packages

Arizona Bowl: 4 Stadium Club tickets with VIP pregame party passes, including food and beverages for both, on-field experience and tour, 4 tickets for private players party

Arizona Cardinals: 4 VIP tickets with pregame hospitality in Big Red Brew Haus or Red Zone Tailgate, pregame field passes to watch teams warm up, ability to attend postgame press conference, Cardinals fan gear package

Arizona Coyotes: 4 on-the-glass tickets with BMW Club access and food & beverage, watch pregame warm-ups from the penalty box, behind the scenes tour with Tyson Nash/Paul Bissonnette, postgame player meet-and-greet, autographed jersey, stick and puck from team captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Arizona Diamondbacks: 4 premium tickets in the D-backs Dugout Box, watch batting practice/national anthem from the field, keepsake photo in the D-backs dugout, behind-the-scenes tour with Luis Gonzalez, ballpark treats delivered right to your seats

Arizona State Football: 4 game tickets in the Athletic Director’s suite with pregame sideline passes and parking pass **

Arizona State Women’s Basketball: You and a guest will attend pregame shootaround practice and pregame team meal, inside access to locker room for pregame/halftime/postgame coach talks, and seats on bench during game plus 2 tickets for other attendees, gameday polo **

University of Arizona Football: 2-4 tickets (depends on game and availability) in Athletic Director’s skybox for a home football game, experience to join the Voice of the Wildcats Brian Jeffries in the radio booth before the game **

University of Arizona Men’s Basketball: 2 middle-section tickets (depends on game and availability) for a home men’s basketball game at McKale Center, experience Arizona team introductions on court a few feet away from the bench **

Cactus Bowl: 4 premium game tickets, on-field experience during pregame, for a portion of in-game* and postgame ceremony, helmet from one of the participating teams, signed football by both head coaches, ability to attend Media Day

Cactus League: 2 Spring Training Packages for four to the team/facility of their choice, subject to availability, includes tickets, ballpark cash and Cactus League swag for four people

Grand Canyon University Athletics: 4 premium tickets to a GCU men’s basketball game with VIP parking and Lopes Club entry, honorary game ball presentation, gameday polo shirts, round of golf and lunch for 4 players at GCU Golf Course

Northern Arizona University Athletics: Travel with NAU Football team to a mutually agreed upon away game of choice, including two seats on the NAU charter plane, Friday evening entertainment, two game tickets and hotel accommodations. Typical departure time is Noon on Friday and return departs immediately following the game, with an evening landing in Flagstaff **

Phoenix Mercury: 4 premium tickets with VIP access to watch warm-ups from the court, photo with a Mercury player, parking pass, autographed jersey, prize pack, meet and greet with Hall of Famer Ann Meyers Drysdale, invitation to attend practice

Phoenix Raceway: 4 passes to the President’s Suite for the NASCAR Championship race with complimentary food & beverages, VIP rooftop seating, INfield experience, VIP parking, meet & greet with NASCAR Cup Series driver and Phoenix-native Michael McDowell, pace car ride around Phoenix Raceway, photo with the 2020 NASCAR Champion following the race, VIP viewing area for prerace ceremonies, photo in the Cactus Flagstand overlooking the start/finish line, VIP access to the Championship Party at The Barn

Phoenix Rising: Training session for 4 people, 4 personalized jerseys, signed Drogba jersey, 4 field seats

Phoenix Suns: 4 lower level tickets with dinner in new premium club, on-court access to watch pregame warm-ups, professional photo on-court, autographed jersey, private all-access tour by Alvan Adams, postgame passes

PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl: 4 premium tickets, premier pregame party tickets, on-field visit pregame and for a portion of in-game*, ability to attend Media Day and postgame press conferences, signed helmet with two head coaches

Scottsdale Charros: 4 VIP tickets to the Charro Lodge at Scottsdale Stadium with complimentary food and beverage, throw ceremonial first pitch before San Francisco Giants spring training game

Waste Management Phoenix Open: 2 Chairman’s Club passes for Wednesday that includes exclusive VIP access to hospitality venues on course including the 16th hole, Greenskeeper and Bay Club, tee box access at the 16th hole for the celebrity Shot at Glory, VIP access to Coors Light Birds Nest***

*must be 18 to be on field during game

** due to NCAA rules, individuals in grades 9-12, and junior college, are not permitted to be involved in this VIP experience

***Coors Light Birds Nest is a 21 and over venue

Media Contact: Scott Leightman (sleightman@fiestabowl.org; 480.517.6291)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/2dKjF6N7oiI”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1588281022926{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]As part of their In the Community Conversations, today Thunderbirds’ 2021 Tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins held a virtual chat with Dede Devine, President and CEO of Native American Connections to talk about the current challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, identify the immediate needs of the organization and find out how the community at large can help support the mission of Native American Connections.

Since 1972, Native American Connections has been changing lives, strengthening families, and building healthy communities. They began as a small grassroots organization operating one program for Native American men in recovery from substance abuse. Today, Native American Connections owns and operates 21 sites throughout Central Phoenix, offering a continuum of affordable housing, behavioral health, and community development services which touch and change the lives of over 10,000 individuals and families each year.

“We said two things when COVID started. No one will be evicted and no one will go hungry,” said Devine. “We began really helping our residents understand about rental assistance and utility assistance and how they can apply for federal and state programs that can help them.”

Native American Connections also has focused heavily on food distribution and making sure their guests have adequate nourishment and a safe place to eat.

“We really began organizing around getting food distribution out to our communities,” said Devine. “At first, the schools got really active in making sure there are still meals and everything for children, but some of that is beginning to close now. We’re really makings ure there’s enough food for all the children and families.”

In addition to food service, Native American Connections is bolstering their substance abuse and residential programs during the crisis.

“On the substance abuse recovery side, we have residential and outpatient programs and we didn’t want anyone that was in our residential program to have to leave and go out in the street,” said Devine. “We’ve kept our treatment centers open and we’re sheltering in place, both with our housing residents and our behavioral health residents so we can keep our employees, residents and clients safe.”

How can the community help Native American Connections?

“We have a volunteer coordinator and if you go to our website, nativeconnections.org, you can connect with our volunteer coordinator,” said Devine. “[We] need everything [you can find] in your home. Anything that’s donated helps them take care of their family better, stay stably housed, keep together during this tough time. They need cleaning products and hand sanitizer and toilet paper and canned goods and food.”

Donate Supplies | Volunteer with Native American Connections | Donate Funds

Native American Connections

4520 N. Central Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85012

Phone: 480.821.4207

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As part of the In the Community Conversations, we shift to Thunderbirds’ 2021 Assistant Tournament Chairman Michael Golding checking in with Shelby Peterson of ICAN via virtual conference call to talk about the challenges of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and discussing ways to support ICAN so they can continue to serve the local youth in our community.

ICAN is a free, family-centered youth service in the East Valley that helps to combat substance abuse, gang involvement and juvenile delinquency. ICAN goes beyond being just an after-school program for those at-risk by working with youth on the critical skills they need to be productive and responsible members of the community by empowering them through personal and academic success.

“The COVID-19 crisis has caused us to have low attendance for the first time in our 32-year history,” said Peterson. “We’ve had fewer kids coming to the program than ever before, so we are really pressed to deliver our mission in a way that isn’t group based. What we’ve had to do is pivot and start developing curriculum that we’re now putting out to the community with family friendly activities packed all in a two-gallon Ziploc bag.”

Peterson stated the biggest thing ICAN is doing right now is reaching out to the families and just checking in to see what they need to perform activities at home.

“Supplies are a big issue,” said Peterson. “They can’t get basic supplies, so we’re including everything a family needs to do those activities, whether it’s pencils, pens, crayons, construction paper, scissors, glue, you name it.”

How can the community help ICAN?

“The biggest things we need right now are supplies [to produce] these kits,” said Peterson. “We have an Amazon wish list that has all the supplies we need. Folks have been really generous. They’ve gone on and sponsored crayons and had them sent to the building so our team can get them to the kids.”

To donate supplies, CLICK HERE

“Obviously, financial contributions make a huge difference, so that’s another great way to donate,” continued Peterson.

Visit http://icanaz.org/get-involved to support and donate to ICAN.

ICAN

650 E. Morelos St.

Chandler, AZ 85225

Phone: 480.821.4207

Website

To Donate Funds | To Donate Goods | To Become a Volunteer 

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