"It really makes golf participants feel good when they can help others in some small way," says Jo Ann Hoffman, president of the Bethesda, Md.-based Meeting Industry Ladies Open (MILO) and The Golfe www.info@clubmilo.com. "I'm seeing a stronger desire to give back to less fortunate people who might never get to enjoy this wonderful sport."
Hoffman recently staged an event where the proceeds went to the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. She also suggests that participants bring two clean, used golf shirts to donate to the local homeless shelter in the community where the tournament is staged.
How can organizers select a charity for their tournament? "You can pinpoint a local charity in the community where the tournament is staged, or give to a national charity with immediate needs, such as the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. Or you can donate to long-standing organizations such as the American Cancer Society."