I Don't Want to Be Cynical About PGA Tour Charitable Efforts...
by Ryan Ballengee
on Oct 3, 2008 10:44 AM EDT
I think everyone should take a read at Tim Rosaforte's story on Vijay Singh's involvement with Eagles for St. Jude. I believe the charitable contribution is $5000 per eagle made on Tour to St. Jude and is sponsored by Stanford Financial. Rosaforte's story talks about Vijay's first visits to the St. Jude facility and the commercial shoot that led to the Big Fijian commercial you see on TV today. I couldn't help but feel cynical at times, but I know from other anecdotes that Vijay is a good, funny guy in private. That's why I'm torn on my opinion of the content of the piece - not Rosey's writing. Or maybe it is, I don't know.
Your thoughts?
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you're kidding...right ?
how can you be cynical when something this good comes out about someone ? He wasn’t by himself – he was with an administrator, doctors, parents, and most of all – kids with serious illnesses. This isn’t something put out by a publicist – it is a real story.
The first time I saw Vijay in person was at the Greater Greensboro Open back in 1993. He was on the range – I know , big shocker there – looking very serious…until Kas came running onto the range. He couldn’t have been school age yet – and he wanted to play with his dad. Vijay put the clubs down and they played and ran around the practice area for a few minutes. Kas left happy – Vijay was smiling…until he picked the clubs back up.
I watched him last Sunday on the practice green – serious as always – until his coach and caddy came up and they started cutting up about something or other, I couldn’t hear. They worked, then they cut up. Plenty of laughing and smiling.
Vijay IS a quiet guy – and when he puts his “work” face on – he is all business – but a golfer is not ALL he is – and you’d think these “media” types would figure that out and tell the rest of the story more often. Not just Vijay, either. This is the biggest disservice the professionals in the golf media give to the players. They write without really knowing the whole story.
Well done Rosey – GREAT story – it should be in more places than Golfweek.
You are right about Stanford is sponsoring the Eagles program, but Vijay is also putting his own money into the pot.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 3, 2008 3:54 PM EDT 0 recs
That's what I wanted to hear
I’m glad that Rosey put this story out there – it’s a good one, but to me, it just seemed like a hokey piece. It is tough to convey this kind of thing. After all, it’s a multi-millionaire visiting families and children devastated by life-threatening illnesses. But, my opinion of Vijay has been one of support because of what I know of him off of the course/away from the game. I just wanted to make sure I haven’t gotten too hardened by political season ;)
And it would be nice to see more stories about the good things that people in the game can do. Last year, (I think) there was a story about a great charity event put together by Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer, and I believe Natalie Gulbis. I was happy to see it and included it as a segment on the LPGA show under the same premise that we don’t usually hear about the good stuff.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 3, 2008 4:14 PM EDT 0 recs
true, but...
…he’s a multi-millionaire who is (a) a father, and (b) doing something to directly help the hospital that is taking care of these kids. That commercial is still one of the best on TV – I hope it gets an award.
oh – I said GolfWeek – it’s Golf World.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 3, 2008 4:26 PM EDT
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I hope that more players
Get behind this kind of concept. Cristie Kerr has something similar, too.
And my favorite commercial this year is the one with the little kid talking about the bad decisions in his life for Kaiser Permanente. Check it out on Youtube!
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 3, 2008 4:28 PM EDT
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YYEEEEESSSSSSSSS...
Getting behind Cristie Kerr is a good thing. :-D I just wish these Breast Cancer charities would stop advertising that they are raising money “IN SUPPORT OF BREAST CANCER”. Personally, I’m AGAINST Breast cancer and would contribute AGAINST it or for research and treatment. :-)
Yeah – that Kaiser Permanente commercial is a good one.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 3, 2008 4:34 PM EDT
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There's no easier way to drive up hits
in the off season than having a hottest babes in golf contest. And I am not above doing that.
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 3, 2008 4:47 PM EDT
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hmm - great idea
we could make it an instructional series – start with bikini bunker lessons – maybe on the sands of Waikiki – Miss Gulbis, what IS the best way to handle a fried egg lie ? :-D
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 3, 2008 6:55 PM EDT
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Eagles
Back to the Rosaforte story…that program was developed by Stanford (Financial) and evidently last year raised $1.76 million for St. Jude. But like Rosey wrote that is just barely enough to operate the hospital for one day and if you look at that 70% survival rate – yes it’s incredible – but it means that 3 out of every 10 of kids die.
After I saw that commercial the first time and Vijay says “What are you gonna do?” I went to the site and pledged. Albeit nowhere near Stanford’s $1,000 per eagle on the tour or Singh’s $5,000 personal donation, I feel like I am doing something….like those old Sally Struthers commercials -“for 39¢ a day” Well for 1 box of Pro-V1’s a month I hope I am making a difference.
As far as being hokey -Ryan I can’t see your point. On one hand you talk about how great it is that a program like this is being publicized and then saying well – it’s hokey….You see a legendary player who is known for being somewhat distant and sometimes controversial becoming an ambassador for some of the sickest kids in the world….if you had the chance, how would you let people know? What would make a self-professed cynic take notice and get involved? Like I said for a fraction of what we all spend on equipment, clothes, accessories, fees, dues, lessons, tickets – hell, beer for that matter – we could make true difference.
I applaud VIjay and Camilo for stepping up.
by TheGoogler on Oct 4, 2008 2:12 AM EDT 0 recs
Ballengee: Try this
I suggest you tour the children’s ward in any hospital, then check your degree of cynicism.
If that doesn’t cure it, try touring the St. Jude.
Singh’s envisioned aloofness really is Singh’s high degree of concentration which, for him, is the vital component of his profession. The description of his son appearing at the practice range and Singh’s immediate detachment from his practice (concentration) to enjoyment of his son, then his return to concentration on practice is an excellent example of his self-control.
Woods gets into his “zone” of concentration also, as is well known. It is what is needed for performing at the highest level of of professional golf.
Don't worry, nothing will be allright.
by rcrusoe on
Oct 4, 2008 1:43 PM EDT
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I think you missed the cynicism part
crusoe – I wasn’t cynical about the work done at St. Jude. It is an incredible place and I have donated money to them and the CMN in the past – not much, but something to show my support. I was cynical about how the story was told from the commercial producer’s POV. I have nothing against Vijay’s chosen way to handle his day job and the media. I’ve gone on record as saying that I root for the guy because I know that he’s better than he is portrayed as a person.
Googler – That’s why I was conflicted about the piece. I want people to know about the good things golf can accomplish, and that Vijay isn’t the jerk he is portrayed to be by the media. I just couldn’t think of a better way for that to be expressed. If Vijay had pulled a Tiger Woods and announced this stuff on his website, I think that wouldn’t have helped.
Bottom line for me is that I wonder what is the best way to communicate this kind of thing. I certainly applaud Vijay’s work – or any person who makes this a part of their life. But, how do you communicate a story like this without making it potentially seem either hokey, or self-serving? Or is that just not possible?
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 5, 2008 12:22 PM EDT
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best way ?
sure – just avoid the handful of BAD ways. That’s all. No fake crying scenes by professional actresses – no guilt trips – no wild promises that your 79 cents a month will cure 6 different diseases AND change the kitty litter.
I’d lay dollars to doughnuts that Vijay was a little uncomfortable doing that commercial because some nitwits would say that he was glorifying himself – which couldn’t be further from the truth. This was one of the best spots ever if you ask me. It was genuine and upbeat.
Sometimes I wonder if they could’ve added a way for people to join in with the Eagles program – but most people who want to donate can probably figure out how to get an address to St Judes.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 5, 2008 5:46 PM EDT
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statistics
I always cringe when writers who give ZERO dollars to a cause use words like “only” when talking about how much money someone else raises and donates. If Vijay and Stanford put up enough money to keep an entire hospital running for a day, then that’s one less day they have to fund. (does it really take $475 million a year to keep St Jude’s running ? wow !)
Googler – 70% means that 7 fewer kids out of those 10 stay alive. Without the treatment – that’s 10 out of 10 who die from a disease that medical science doesn’t truly know how to cure. 70% is pretty amazing.
I’m with you in applauding Vijay.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 4, 2008 5:31 PM EDT
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70%
I hope you did not take my “3 out of 10” comment as negative – I meant it as – even with all this, three out of every ten that are diagnosed and seen there will “still” die…
On the operating budget, I pulled this from the st. jude website"
"And thanks to the efforts of millions of donors from virtually every community across America, St. Jude has gone uninterrupted in its mission to find cures and save children.
From an annual operating budget of "approximately $1 million" in 1962 to an operating cost of more than $1.2 million per day, ALSAC has managed, thus far, to satisfy the voracious appetite of the researchers to do "more science, more quickly."
Pretty amazing….and if a child’s parent’s cannot afford to pay – they are not turned away…
A little research also shows that Stanford developed this program – it is not a PGA charity initiative but I guess it counts toward the total charitable contributions the PGA takes credit for. It looks like Stanford brought about Eagles after they took over the PGA event in Memphis. It was the FedEx St. Jude Classic for 20 years or so…I guess they gave it up when someone had the brilliant idea of the FedEx Cup.
by TheGoogler on Oct 4, 2008 10:58 PM EDT 0 recs
gotta love Danny Thomas
he did so much work in the early days of St Jude’s and that work just keeps rolling along. this is an amazing place.
not sure what you’re talking about with the PGA Tour and Stanford. Who said that the Eagles program had anything to do with the PGA Tour aside from the connection of Vijay Singh and Stanford – the title sponsor ? St Jude’s is still the major charity for the Memphis tour stop. It is called the Stanford (title sponsor) St Jude’s (charity) Classic.
PGA tournaments require huge amounts of money to fill the purse – which is where Stanford comes in. St Jude still gets a handsome check from the tournament – plus the money from Vijay’s eagles – both from Stanford and Vijay.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 5, 2008 11:42 AM EDT
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Seems like Stanford comes in
twice in this. They are behind the Eagles for St. Jude and the Memphis event. (As well as one in Miami for the LPGA Tour.) From the piece, it sounded like multiple companies want to get involved with this charity.
I went to the Eagles for St. Jude site for some clarification, and it looks like Stanford donates $1000 for every LPGA and PGA Tour eagle. Vijay kicks in $5K personally for each eagle that he makes. (This year, 6, so $30K) Villegas does $3K per eagle ($21K this season) and Pressel does $1K per eagle (none this season). I would guess the donate a baseline no matter what. And they all donated auction items for an online auction.
BTW, I really thought Vijay and Camilo made more eagles in a season, but the leader for the year is Chad Campbell with 12. That could be an aside all to itself.
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 5, 2008 12:33 PM EDT
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Stanford
From the Stanford St. Jude Championship site:
“Eagles for St. Jude was developed to expand and highlight the alliance between Stanford and St. Jude and provide an ongoing charitable investment to help the premier pediatric cancer research center find cures and save children from around the world. Stanford, whose brand identity includes an eagle as part of its corporate logo, has named St. Jude as its global charity of choice.”
A little deeper look and Stanford seems to partner with St. Jude in markets all over the US and Latin America. Only make sense that when they took over as title from FedEx, that they would enhance the relationship further.
The donation last year was the highest in the tournament’s 50 year history (38 years benefiting St. Jude. FedEx had it for 21 years and their annual donation didn’t even come close….I guess they would have rather given away $10 million per year to one multi-millionaire golfer than to save the lives of kids.
courtgolf – www.eaglesforstjude.com – anyone can make a one time or monthly donation…plus they auction off signed merch and tickets to the Stanford St. Jude…this year, I bid on the chance to caddie for Vijay and/or Camilo at the Memphis tournament.
by TheGoogler on Oct 5, 2008 6:05 PM EDT 0 recs
Seems to be a good sponsor
I think Stanford is a good fit for this tournament in Memphis. The players seem to have gotten more interested in it since Stanford has gotten involved, too. I think FedEx got into it because they were based in Memphis and the FEC gave them an out without looking like they were running away from St. Jude.
court, I agree with you that Vijay was probably apprehensive to shoot that commercial. He has never struck me as a guy who wants the spotlight – just wants to make his mark in life quietly.
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 5, 2008 11:02 PM EDT
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in the commercial ?
Was that web address in the commercial ? If it was, I missed it.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 6, 2008 8:39 AM EDT
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A little google work: Stanford Sports
Stanford Financial has a pretty impressive footprint in sports – PGA (Stanford St. Jude Championship & founding sponsor of Tiger’s AT&T National) LPGA (Stanford International Pro-Am/Miami), Polo (U.S. Open), Tennis (Sony Ericsson Open, Stanford Championships- series with past champs like Courier, McEnroe, Sampras, Cash, Willander, etc) and the CEO has his Stanford Twenty20 cricket tournament coming up in Antigua (one 3-hour 20/20 match for a cool $20million to the winning team, evidently the largest purse in cricket history)
Looks like 5 golfers are wearing the Stanford logo (eagle shield – nice tie back for the eagles program) VIjay Singh, Camilo Villegas, Henrik Stenson, David Toms and Morgan Pressel.
by TheGoogler on Oct 5, 2008 11:25 PM EDT 0 recs
Good deal
Thanks for the additional information! I knew their involvement in golf and tennis, but didn’t know about cricket or polo. Hell, I didn’t even know there was a US Open for polo.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 6, 2008 12:15 AM EDT 0 recs
U.S. Open (Polo)
The Stanford U.S. Open Polo Championship is the most prestigious polo tournament in North America. A record-tying 15 teams competed in the 2005 tournament. Camilo Bautista’s Las Monjitas is the defending champion. International Polo Club Palm Beach
source:
http://www.internationalpoloclub.com/news/news_2006_fastfacts.htm
Court- www.eaglesforsjude.com
by TheGoogler on Oct 6, 2008 8:54 AM EDT 0 recs
Oooooo
now there’s a prestigious Divot to Stomp !! How come they don’t just fill them with sand like golf ? Less chance of mistakenly stomping something else sitting on top of the ground. (eeewwwwwwwww) :-)
thanks Googler – I was wondering if that address was in the commercial and I missed it.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 6, 2008 10:36 AM EDT
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The Big FIjian
one place it lives is on:
http://www.stanfordstjude.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=66
by TheGoogler on Oct 6, 2008 1:16 PM EDT 0 recs
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