Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, PGA TOUR Players and Fans Rally to Benefit Four Charities
FORT WORTH, TEXAS (May 23, 2013) – PGA TOUR golfers at the 2013 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial will once again be playing for more than the traditional tartan plaid jacket. This year’s Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts “Charity Foursome” program will benefit four charities: The First Tee of Fort Worth, Year Up Atlanta, Junior Achievement USA and the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Shelter In A Storm Program. Expect plenty of birdies and eagles over the weekend, with the entire field working hard to shoot low scores for one of the participating organizations. During Saturday and Sunday rounds, each golf pairing will be playing for one of the four charities with IHG’s Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand donating $100 for every birdie and $500 for every eagle made to the pairing’s corresponding charity, up to $50,000.
“We’re very proud to continue the Colonial’s long-standing tradition of giving back to the community through this year’s ‘Charity Foursome’ program,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Americas Brand Management, Upscale Brands, IHG. “Aligning with this year’s Crowne Plaza theme, ‘We’ll Help You on Your Way,’ each benefiting charity is focused on enabling people to be successful – whether it’s the next generation of business travelers or people in our hotel communities recovering from a natural disaster.”
To create awareness for the “Charity Foursome” program and to help fans identify the corresponding charity for each golf pairing, the players’ caddies will wear one of the four charity names on their caddy bibs, and the charity names will also be found on standard bearers. Additionally, commemorative gray and plum fans given to on-site viewers at the course’s famed 13th hole suggest donating Caddie Race bet winnings to one of the “Charity Foursome” program organizations.
Fans at this year’s tournament and viewers at home will be encouraged to partake by visiting www.crowneplaza.com/charityfoursome to donate directly to the participating charities of their choice.
The upscale hotel brand will be demonstrating its “We’ll Help You on Your Way” message through several high profile opportunities this golf season. The brand tagline debuted last month in a new ad campaign starring PGA TOUR professional Rickie Fowler, including two lighthearted commercials – “Caddie” and “Autograph” – that will run on The Golf Channel and CBS through Aug. 4. In the same spirit, the brand is sponsoring the prestigious 2013 Ben Hogan Award, helping one talented collegiate golfer on his way to a potential career in professional golf with confirmed entry into next year’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial tournament.
The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial will also support communities affected by the recent storms in Texas and Oklahoma through the American Red Cross. Donation stations will be located throughout the course, and fans and players are encouraged to wear red on Sunday in support of the affected communities.
IHG, the parent company of the Crowne Plaza brand, is the Official Hotel and Resort Partner of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour. The longest running PGA TOUR tournament still being held at the original site, the 2013 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is held May 20-26 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Visit www.crowneplaza.com/golf for more information.
