First Tee honorees hit ceremonial HOPE Tee Shot at TOUR Championship
Prior to the first round of the 2025 TOUR Championship, First Tee-Metro Atlanta honorees Aiko Benford and Samuel West hit the ceremonial HOPE Tee Shot. Each honoree also receives a $10,000 scholarship from Accenture to further their education.
TOUR Championship Drives Community Impact with Record-Setting Contribution from 2024 Tournament
The TOUR Championship announced a record $7.2 million contribution from the 2024 event, up from $6.96 million in 2023. The announcement was made during the annual Start:ME Accelerator Program graduation at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, an event that celebrates local entrepreneurs and highlights the program’s role in creating opportunities for microbusinesses in communities across Metro Atlanta.
Record-Setting Contribution from 2024 Tournament
$7.2 million gifted to local nonprofits, supporting key initiatives across Metro Atlanta
East Lake Foundation
The East Lake Foundation was established in 1995 to lead the revitalization of the East Lake neighborhood in Atlanta. Working in a series of strategic partnerships, the Foundation has developed The Villages of East Lake, an award-winning mixed income community; the Charles R. Drew Charter School; the East Lake Family YMCA; the East Lake Sheltering Arms Early Learning Center; the Charlie Yates Golf Course and a new Publix grocery store. The Foundation and its partners sponsor many programs designed to create and nurture a healthy, whole sustainable community where every family can excel and achieve.
First Tee – Metro Atlanta
The mission of the First Tee® of Metro Atlanta is to positively impact the lives of Metro Atlanta’s young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.
Grove Park Foundation
The foundation is dedicated to revitalizing the Grove Park neighborhood and improving the quality of life by working with local partners, leaders and residents to create a healthy, equitable and vibrant community.
Purpose Built Schools Atlanta
Serving as the blueprint for Purpose Built Communities, the redevelopment of the East Lake community is a landmark achievement in urban renewal. Founded in 1995, the East Lake Foundation was established to help transform the East Lake neighborhood and create new opportunities for the families living there. Working with neighborhood residents and expert public and private partners, the Foundation developed a new community on the site of a former public housing project. Since that time, violent crime has dropped in the neighborhood by 97%. Residents are engaged in health and wellness programs, and many are becoming homeowners.
Focused Community Strategies
Focused Community Strategies (FCS) is a place-based community development organization that works with neighbors and local leaders to strengthen under-resourced communities by developing mixed-income housing, promoting sustainable economic development, and empowering neighborhood engagement. The organization works to advance racial equity, economic mobility, and improved health for residents and families. FCS provides the tools and resources that help residents overcome obstacles and improve their overall quality of life.