84 Lumber to donate to relief fund
As everyone from major corporations to average Americans pitch in to donate time, money and goods to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, one local business has joined the relief effort with a massive charitable donation. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in conjunction with 84 Lumber and the PGA Tour has joined the U.S. Golf Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and will collect donations from spectators, volunteers and staff during the 84 Lumber Classic at Mystic Rock in Farmington Sept. 12-18.
Tournament Media Director Jeff Nobers said donation points will be located at the main entrance as well as all food and beverage sites throughout the course.
Last week, 84 Lumber Co. officials worked to assess the damage to the region and to four lumber stores hit by the massive storm.
Nobers said that all four stores sustained varying degrees of damage in the storm and added that the devastation in the region was so widespread that it would take time to comprehend the magnitude of the storm and find a starting point to begin contributing to relief efforts.
Now, less than a week later, 84 Lumber officials have decided to contribute a substantial donation to the thousands now without homes in the Gulf Coast region and have called on patrons of the upcoming golf tournament in Fayette County to pitch in as well.
According to Nobers, 84 Lumber and Nemacolin President Maggie Hardy Magerko has agreed to match every dollar collected during the weeklong event, up to $500,000.
And Magerko has also committed to donating a match to half the winnings earned by defending 84 Lumber Classic Vijay Singh and fan favorite John Daly in this year’s event.
“We have several stores in the affected Gulf Coast region and hundreds of associates whose lives were significantly impacted. Our first order of business was to take care of our associates and their families with shelter, food, clothing and other basic necessities and to get our stores open,” Magerko said in a press release.
“Now we want to turn our attention to raising significant funds to assist all of those affected by this unprecedented disaster.”
Last year, Singh earned $756,000 for his tournament victory and Daly earned $72,000, tied for 13th place.
That would equal a donation of $414,000.
Additionally, the PGA will ask players to donate at least a portion of their winnings from the tournament to help aide in the massive relief effort, expected to take months.
The Katrina fund, sponsored by the PGA Tour, LPGA, PGA of America, USGA, the Masters Tournament and the Golf Course Superintendents Association, hopes to raise $5 million by the end of the fall finish.
The 84 Lumber chain store operates 525 stores nationwide, does more than $3 billion in sales annually and is set to open an additional 20 stores in the next 60 days.
For more information on the relief effort visit www.pgatour.com.