Annual Event Directly Funds Scholarships for Hundreds of Inner-City Students and Families
More than 300 civic and corporate leaders from across the country came out this past Monday to participate in the 19thAnnual Big Shoulders Fund Golf Classic. The event is Big Shoulders Fund’s largest annual fundraiser and supports the Friends of Big Shoulders Scholarship, which provides critical tuition assistance to a portion of the nearly 20,000 inner-city students and families seeking access to a values-based education at one of the 75 Big Shoulders Fund schools.
“We’re incredibly thankful to all the supporters and sponsors whose generous donations allow us to continue our mission of educating students, strengthening families, and preserving communities,” said Josh Hale, President and CEO of Big Shoulders Fund. “Through the generous funds raised during events like the Golf Classic, we’re able to continue to create opportunities for Chicago students from all backgrounds to have access to a high-quality education.”
Hosted at the prestigious Olympia Fields Country Club, attendees participated in a series of contests, raffles and live and silent auctions, which, along with ticket sales, go towards funding the Friends of Big Shoulders Scholarship. Over the last 19 years, the Golf Classic has raised more than $9 million and funded more than 12,500 scholarships.
The event’s continued success is due to a committed and active group of volunteers who comprise the Big Shoulders Fund Golf Classic Committee.
“We’re thrilled with the success of the event and grateful for the support of all those who came out to Olympia Field and helped us further Big ShouldersFund’s mission of providing access and opportunity for deserving students who are eager to learn,” said Giancarlo Turano, Big Shoulders Fund Golf Committee Co-Chair. “It’s empowering to see leaders from across the country and the Chicagoland area come together to make a difference in the lives of the next generation of leaders in our city and beyond.”
Big Shoulders Fund is an independent charitable organization that has offered support to schools in the neediest areas of Chicago for 33 years. BigShoulders Fund invests approximately $30 million annually in 75 schools and nearly 20,000 students to enhance the quality of their education through academic programs, scholarships and enrichment, leadership development, and operational strategy and improvements. All but three of the schools in the Big Shoulders Fund network are in the city of Chicago and many of the students we serve come from diverse socioeconomic and racial backgrounds – 80 percent represent minorities and nearly 70 percent live in low-income households.
