The Thunderbirds are well-known in the greater Phoenix area. In golf, they’re known as hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Regardless of the history, the Thunderbird legacy is about to grow.
The organization announced last week it would provide $1 million in emergency funding to assist Arizona charities during a time of great uncertainty brought on in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Funds were donated at the end of last week to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley, St. Mary’s Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul. The Thunderbirds announced they would continue to evaluate the situation and hand out the remainder of the money over the next few weeks as other priority needs arise.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open raises a colossal amount of money for Arizona charities. The tournament’s chairman announced during tournament week that this year’s event would raise more than $14 million. The Thunderbirds and Waste Management Phoenix Open have raised more than $95 million for local charities since 2010.
“Thanks to the tremendous community support every year of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the Thunderbirds are able to give to so many worthy charities,” said Chance Cozby, Big Chief of the Thunderbirds. “We are in unprecedented times. We felt, as an organization, it was imperative to act quickly and get much needed funds to help those in dire need right now.”
Webb Simpson, as the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open champion, is inherently connected to the tournament and the Thunderbirds.
“I love the Phoenix Open for many reasons, of course 16 is an amazing spot, the record crowds every day are great,” Simpson said in a video posted on the Phoenix Open’s Instagram account. “But what gets lost in translation is the amount of money they raise for charities and the amount of money they give away to charities. This just highlights their generosity, that in this pandemic, they’re thinking of others, thinking of those who need it most.”
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