Hosted at PGA TOUR Superstore Owner and Chairman Arthur M. Blank’s West Creek Ranch in Montana, the summit will give the teens opportunities to enjoy dynamic outdoor activities while learning leadership concepts and key values
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. and ATLANTA, (July 13, 2022) − First Tee, a youth development organization that helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf, is partnering with PGA TOUR Superstore to hold their second-annual Leadership Summit from August 1-12. Forty teenagers from across the country have been selected to attend this year’s Summit, hosted at PGA TOUR Superstore Chairman and First Tee Board Member Arthur M. Blank’s West Creek Ranch in Montana.
Twenty of the selected youths will participate in the first week from August 1-5, and 20 others will attend from August 8-12.
The diverse group of participants – 24 young women and 16 young men – on average have spent seven years in the First Tee program and their average GPA is 3.85. From an aspiring Urban Planner who wants to ensure underserved communities have access to public facilities to a researcher who wants to cure food allergies, many of the participants already have impressive plans for careers that will improve their communities.
The First Tee Leadership Summit is designed to strengthen leadership skills through dynamic outdoor and team-building activities with the intended purpose of personal growth, education and coming together to make a difference. The curriculum explores concepts such as positive risk-taking, relationship building and identifying character strengths.
Set in the unforgettable backdrop of West Creek Ranch, the Summit will give teens the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities such as golf, fly fishing, yoga, meditation, horseback riding, archery, whitewater rafting and hiking, and will be encouraged to apply their learnings through these activities.
For the second consecutive year, former NFL standout and motivational speaker Michael Vick will be a featured guest speaker during the first week of the Summit. Professional golfer Shasta Averyhardt will be featured the second week.
At the conclusion of the Summit, four students will be selected for the First Tee College Scholarship Program and will receive financial support as well as access to mentorship and professional development opportunities throughout their four-year collegiate experience.
“In our first year, we saw a group of incredible teenagers participate in a transformative experience which changed their outlook on life and leadership,” said Dick Sullivan, President & CEO, PGA TOUR Superstore. “We are committed to supporting First Tee and to be a part of something impactful and meaningful in the students’ lives.”
“Congratulations to the 40 teens selected for this one-of-a-kind leadership event,” added Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “As we saw last year, the summit provides an opportunity for these talented teens to immerse themselves in personal growth that will help them strengthen their leadership skills while forging deep relationships with peers from across the country. We are once again grateful to Arthur Blank and PGA TOUR Superstore for supporting our mission as we work to empower the next generation through intentional and innovative opportunities like the First Tee Leadership Summit.”
To be eligible for the Summit, teens participated in a five-week Leadership Series that was hosted at PGA TOUR Superstore locations across the country this spring. Teens also completed applications and were selected based on character-driving criteria.
For more than a decade, PGA TOUR Superstore and Arthur Blank have championed First Tee’s mission through charitable and in-kind donations across the country. In September 2020, PGA TOUR Superstore announced a new grant that will help First Tee reach more youth across the U.S. and strengthen its curriculum for teenage participants, including the development of the Leadership Series, Summit and scholarships.
The Leadership Summit is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee Headquarters to inspire and equip teens on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities.
FIRST TEE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS – AUGUST 1-5 Name Braden Bernaldo Anna Brown Aidan Cervetti Katelyn Chan Myles Cobb Matthew Cook Jacie Goodman Maleyna Gregorio Wesley Helmer Ava Hurtado Zara Karim Carson Kawabata Isabella Lohr Jake Myre Victoria Ocampo Acosta Alanis Santiago Maldonado Ethan Selvers Anay Sigala Saloni Somia Isabella Zamarron First Tee Chapter First Tee — Coachella Valley (CA) First Tee — Coastal Carolinas (NC) First Tee — Tampa Bay First Tee — Silicon Valley (CA) First Tee — Greater Chicago First Tee — Metro Atlanta First Tee — Florida Gold Coast First Tee — Coachella Valley (CA) First Tee — Greater San Antonio First Tee — Greater Austin First Tee — Greater Washington, DC First Tee — Utah First Tee — Greater Dallas First Tee — Tucson First Tee — Orange County (CA) First Tee — North Florida First Tee — Metropolitan New York First Tee — Fort Worth First Tee — Minnesota First Tee — Greater Houston FIRST TEE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS – AUGUST 8-12 Name Mahek Acharya Dominic Clayton Eliana Damsgard Saidah DaSilva Haady Elneser Isabella Herrera Kyzar Joshi Sarah Kohler James Labukas Joshua Lee Elise McGirt Gabriella G. Mercado Katherine Miskimen Abi Newell Josephine Nguyen Carson Platt Jaylyn Remolona Isabella Rubio Jacob Ryan Isaac Stewart First Tee Chapter First Tee — Greater Chicago First Tee — North Florida First Tee — Minnesota First Tee — Massachusetts First Tee — Florida Gold Coast First Tee — Silicon Valley (CA) First Tee — Massachusetts First Tee — Metropolitan New York First Tee — Tucson First Tee — Greater Austin First Tee — Raritan Valley (NJ) First Tee — Orange County (CA) First Tee — Phoenix First Tee — Greater Houston First Tee — Greater Washington, DC First Tee — Coastal Carolinas (NC) First Tee — San Francisco First Tee — Florida Gold Coast First Tee — Central Florida First Tee — Central Ohio
***
About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”) First Tee (www.firsttee.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. In 2022, First Tee celebrates its 25th anniversary and reaching millions of youth through its network of 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations. President George W. Bush serves as Honorary Chair.
About PGA TOUR Superstore PGA TOUR Superstore is operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, Inc., a subsidiary of AMB Sports and Entertainment and is headquartered in metro-Atlanta. As the PGA TOUR’s exclusive off-course/off-airport retail partner in North America, PGA TOUR Superstore provides customers with access to the same technology and expertise as card-carrying PGA TOUR pros. All stores are staffed with teaching professionals and have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays, and large putting greens. There is also an in-house club making and repair facility. Along with equipment and accessories, PGA TOUR Superstore has an unmatched selection of men’s, women’s and juniors’ apparel and footwear for golf and tennis. For more information, visit www.pgatoursuperstore.com.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. and ATLANTA, (July 13, 2022) − First Tee, a youth development organization that helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf, is partnering with PGA TOUR Superstore to hold their second-annual Leadership Summit from August 1-12. Forty teenagers from across the country have been selected to attend this year’s Summit, hosted at PGA TOUR Superstore Chairman and First Tee Board Member Arthur M. Blank’s West Creek Ranch in Montana.
Twenty of the selected youths will participate in the first week from August 1-5, and 20 others will attend from August 8-12.
The diverse group of participants – 24 young women and 16 young men – on average have spent seven years in the First Tee program and their average GPA is 3.85. From an aspiring Urban Planner who wants to ensure underserved communities have access to public facilities to a researcher who wants to cure food allergies, many of the participants already have impressive plans for careers that will improve their communities.
The First Tee Leadership Summit is designed to strengthen leadership skills through dynamic outdoor and team-building activities with the intended purpose of personal growth, education and coming together to make a difference. The curriculum explores concepts such as positive risk-taking, relationship building and identifying character strengths.
Set in the unforgettable backdrop of West Creek Ranch, the Summit will give teens the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities such as golf, fly fishing, yoga, meditation, horseback riding, archery, whitewater rafting and hiking, and will be encouraged to apply their learnings through these activities.
For the second consecutive year, former NFL standout and motivational speaker Michael Vick will be a featured guest speaker during the first week of the Summit. Professional golfer Shasta Averyhardt will be featured the second week.
At the conclusion of the Summit, four students will be selected for the First Tee College Scholarship Program and will receive financial support as well as access to mentorship and professional development opportunities throughout their four-year collegiate experience.
“In our first year, we saw a group of incredible teenagers participate in a transformative experience which changed their outlook on life and leadership,” said Dick Sullivan, President & CEO, PGA TOUR Superstore. “We are committed to supporting First Tee and to be a part of something impactful and meaningful in the students’ lives.”
“Congratulations to the 40 teens selected for this one-of-a-kind leadership event,” added Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “As we saw last year, the summit provides an opportunity for these talented teens to immerse themselves in personal growth that will help them strengthen their leadership skills while forging deep relationships with peers from across the country. We are once again grateful to Arthur Blank and PGA TOUR Superstore for supporting our mission as we work to empower the next generation through intentional and innovative opportunities like the First Tee Leadership Summit.”
To be eligible for the Summit, teens participated in a five-week Leadership Series that was hosted at PGA TOUR Superstore locations across the country this spring. Teens also completed applications and were selected based on character-driving criteria.
For more than a decade, PGA TOUR Superstore and Arthur Blank have championed First Tee’s mission through charitable and in-kind donations across the country. In September 2020, PGA TOUR Superstore announced a new grant that will help First Tee reach more youth across the U.S. and strengthen its curriculum for teenage participants, including the development of the Leadership Series, Summit and scholarships.
The Leadership Summit is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee Headquarters to inspire and equip teens on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities.
FIRST TEE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS – AUGUST 1-5 Name Braden Bernaldo Anna Brown Aidan Cervetti Katelyn Chan Myles Cobb Matthew Cook Jacie Goodman Maleyna Gregorio Wesley Helmer Ava Hurtado Zara Karim Carson Kawabata Isabella Lohr Jake Myre Victoria Ocampo Acosta Alanis Santiago Maldonado Ethan Selvers Anay Sigala Saloni Somia Isabella Zamarron First Tee Chapter First Tee — Coachella Valley (CA) First Tee — Coastal Carolinas (NC) First Tee — Tampa Bay First Tee — Silicon Valley (CA) First Tee — Greater Chicago First Tee — Metro Atlanta First Tee — Florida Gold Coast First Tee — Coachella Valley (CA) First Tee — Greater San Antonio First Tee — Greater Austin First Tee — Greater Washington, DC First Tee — Utah First Tee — Greater Dallas First Tee — Tucson First Tee — Orange County (CA) First Tee — North Florida First Tee — Metropolitan New York First Tee — Fort Worth First Tee — Minnesota First Tee — Greater Houston FIRST TEE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS – AUGUST 8-12 Name Mahek Acharya Dominic Clayton Eliana Damsgard Saidah DaSilva Haady Elneser Isabella Herrera Kyzar Joshi Sarah Kohler James Labukas Joshua Lee Elise McGirt Gabriella G. Mercado Katherine Miskimen Abi Newell Josephine Nguyen Carson Platt Jaylyn Remolona Isabella Rubio Jacob Ryan Isaac Stewart First Tee Chapter First Tee — Greater Chicago First Tee — North Florida First Tee — Minnesota First Tee — Massachusetts First Tee — Florida Gold Coast First Tee — Silicon Valley (CA) First Tee — Massachusetts First Tee — Metropolitan New York First Tee — Tucson First Tee — Greater Austin First Tee — Raritan Valley (NJ) First Tee — Orange County (CA) First Tee — Phoenix First Tee — Greater Houston First Tee — Greater Washington, DC First Tee — Coastal Carolinas (NC) First Tee — San Francisco First Tee — Florida Gold Coast First Tee — Central Florida First Tee — Central Ohio
***
About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”) First Tee (www.firsttee.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. In 2022, First Tee celebrates its 25th anniversary and reaching millions of youth through its network of 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations. President George W. Bush serves as Honorary Chair.
About PGA TOUR Superstore PGA TOUR Superstore is operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, Inc., a subsidiary of AMB Sports and Entertainment and is headquartered in metro-Atlanta. As the PGA TOUR’s exclusive off-course/off-airport retail partner in North America, PGA TOUR Superstore provides customers with access to the same technology and expertise as card-carrying PGA TOUR pros. All stores are staffed with teaching professionals and have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays, and large putting greens. There is also an in-house club making and repair facility. Along with equipment and accessories, PGA TOUR Superstore has an unmatched selection of men’s, women’s and juniors’ apparel and footwear for golf and tennis. For more information, visit www.pgatoursuperstore.com.
