Opportunities Plentiful for Disc Golf
Opportunities Plentiful for Disc Golf
Call to Action for the Global Disc Golf Community
Everyone believes that disc golf is ready to explode. In fact, here at the PDGA office we are already experiencing the early signs of this exponential growth which include record numbers of members and events, as well as some very unique opportunities that are being presented to us as a sport.
Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Many wonder why disc golf isn’t on ESPN or why we aren’t enjoying major sponsors and huge crowds at our events. The PGA Tour made significant strides in the popularity and growth of traditional golf in the 70’s and 80’s when they started paying it forward through event relationships with national charities. It worked for them and it can very easily work for us. Using examples from professional golf (PGA) there are steps that we can easily take to get us to our desired destination but we must all be willing to put in a little work.
An unprecedented opportunity is now standing on our doorstep knocking on our door, as opportunity so often does. Earlier this year, the PDGA announced that we had developed a working relationship with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of the world’s most renowned charity organizations. The mission of St. Jude is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of their founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.
This relationship represents an opportunity that can help propel our sport forward but it can only be successful if undertaken by the entire disc golf community. This is our chance. We need to activate our passion for disc golf and direct it toward this amazing cause.
The inaugural St. Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational will take place on May 22nd-24th on the majestic Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside California, overlooking beautiful Monterey Bay. A successful event could propel disc golf to new heights not yet realized and will benefit our sport, our organization, and most importantly the kids undergoing treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Fundraising Tips
As of March 19th, 159 out of the 296 allotted competitors had registered to compete in the event and committed to raising funds for the charity. As a PDGA member, we need you to step up to the tee and drive for the St. Jude kids by taking advantage of the simple and easy fundraising tips below. Remember, you are just a few clicks away from helping us raise funds for a very worthy charity and raising the awareness of our great sport!
- Sign up and participate as a player.
There are still a few spots available but they’re going fast. If you’re a current PDGA member, you can still participate in this historic inaugural event. - Set up your own fundraising page.
Whether you make it to the event or not, you can set up a donation page to share with family, friends, and co-workers, you are a few mouse clicks away from raising money for this cause while showing off the sport you love. At the same time, when you reach various fundraising goals, you can win cool swag! - Donate to your favorite player.
The live feed at the bottom of the page showcases some of the top players in the sport. You can click on the individual fundraiser names and make a donation. What better way to make a difference than to find your favorite player and support their campaigns for the cause. Note: if you want to make a donation to a team you will need to set up your own fundraising page using the link in tip #2 above. - Make a tax-deductable donation now to the PDGA Members team.
If you’re on the go, here’s a simple way to make a donation from anywhere you are in the world.
Every penny we raise will add to the total sum raised by the disc golf community, which as of today, March 23rd is now over $72,000! When the disc golf community as a whole teams up, amazing things can happen. Let's not allow this golden opportunity to pass us by without us putting in our best efforts. Please join the disc golf community in supporting this event.
"Like" the official St. Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational Facebook page and follow @StJudeDiscGolf on Twitter for up to the minute information.
Comments
Puts a tear in my eye to see
Puts a tear in my eye to see two things that I love and feel strongly about coming together. God bless St. Jude's and the work they do and HELLO WORLD, WE ARE THE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY!
My nephew Conor was diagnosed at 18months with a very aggressive brain tumor and the outlook was very grim, terminal to be specific. It is truly a miracle (and a lot of hard work by countless, nameless many) that Conor just turned 20 March 16th. Children's Hospital in Orange County (CHOC) saved his life as a toddler and bought him time that was needed for other critical surgeries and technology to be perfected. "Team Conor" raised over $100,000 for CHOC during subsequent CHOC Walks. Then St. Jude's came a knockin and Conor qualified for a new study, conformal radiation. After a successful surgery and many many subsequent trips back to Memphis for check ups, they actually told my family that Conor was a miracle case study and considered him, get this, "cured" These were very scary times for my sisters' family but St. Jude and Ronald McDonald house got them through it. He graduated HS last year, something we wouldn't even allow ourselves to think about the first decade of his fight.
I want to participate in this fantastic event so bad and I'm hoping to fly my nephew Conor and his father out to caddy for me. May be tough, but I will sponsor a Pro if I can't compete, and I am thinking about making an offer; Free room and board for 2016s GCC A-tier in Las Vegas to the touring Pro with the most amount donated. Any other ATier event golfers willing to match a similar offer? Everyone wins!
Please support our 2015 St Jude's Disc Golf event!
Judd Dague
#54505