In the News

[Jeffrey Reed]

CHILDREN'S WISH NAMED AS BENIFICIARY OF BIRDIES FOR KIDS


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday June 1, 2011

The Canadian Professional Golf Tour is pleased to announce that this year's recipient of the Birdies for Kids program is The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada.


The Canadian Tour Birdies For Kids initiative was the brainchild of 2008 Greater Vancouver Charity Classic Winner and current Canadian Tour Player Director Adam Speirs. In 2007 Speirs created Birdies for Kids as a way to support charitable causes for kids in Canada. Money for the program is raised based on the number of birdies each Canadian Tour player makes throughout the season. At the conclusion of the Canadian Tour schedule players graciously donate a portion of their earnings to the Birdies for Kids program. The money is then donated to charity, with an average of $10,000 donated per year since its inception.

"We are extremely proud of our Birdies for Kids program and it's truly inspiring that our players recognize the importance of giving back," said Canadian Tour Player Director, Adam Speirs.

"Golf has always been a wonderful platform for charity and we are certainly inspired by the hard work being performed at Children's Wish," added Rick Janes, Commissioner and CEO of the Canadian Tour.

Each year Canadian Tour players and board members select a charitable organization that will benefit from the donations collected through Birdies for Kids. This year The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to granting exceptional wishes to children with a life threatening illness, becomes the fourth benefactor of the Birdies for Kids program. Previous beneficiaries include The National Junior Academy, The First Tee of Vancouver and Kidsport Manitoba.

"We couldn't be more pleased about our new association with the Canadian Tour," remarked Children's Wish CEO Chris Kotsopoulos.

"We are very grateful for the remarkable generosity and enthusiasm of everyone on the tour."

In addition to the donation, the Canadian Tour and select players will sponsor the wish of a child via Children's Wish.

For more information please visit www.childrenswish.ca or www.cantour.com/birdiesforkids

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About the Canadian Tour

Since its inception as the Peter Jackson Tour in 1971, the Canadian Tour has evolved into a high-caliber, coast-to-coast training ground for professionals on their way to the PGA TOUR, including Steve Stricker, Tim Clark, Mike Weir, and recent AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am winner D.A. Points. Its alumni includes not only the game's Canadian legends, but also many of its most prominent international names, who collectively have won more than 100 PGA TOUR titles and close to $400 million in prize money.

About The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada


Each year, thousands of Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 are diagnosed with a life threatening illness. Since 1984, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada has worked tirelessly to grant exceptional wishes to over 16,000 children and their families. This year, the Foundation expects to grant 1,000 new wishes. Each wish is an individual adventure, carefully structured to meet the needs of a particular child and family. The Foundation is a grassroots charity with chapters in every province and territory.