ORLANDO, Fla. (March 6, 2009) — Each year the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard donates a portion of its proceeds to Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation. In an effort to further strengthen and showcase this long-standing relationship, the Foundation has launched the Birdies for Babies fundraising program, collecting monetary pledges per birdie scored by PGA TOUR professionals during this year’s 31st tournament, held March 23-29 at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
Running now until tournament play begins on March 25, the entire Orlando community can get into the golf action by pledging $.01 and up for every birdie scored during the tournament, or by making a one-time donation, to support the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. A "birdie" occurs when a golfer completes a hole one shot under par; there have been an average of 1,149 birdies a year over the past five tournaments, ranging from a low of 1,057 in 2005, to a high of 1,261 in 2006.
The Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies NICU is the fourth largest in the United States and is organized to provide highly skilled, life saving care to Orlando`s tiniest babies. More than 1,600 babies are admitted into the NICU each year, and the unit consistently demonstrates the best outcome statistics in Florida.
“Each year the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard helps raise much-needed funds for both Arnold Palmer and Winnie Palmer hospitals. This program is a great extension of that relationship and allows us to further involve the community in helping babies in need,” said Jeffrey Muddell, Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation vice president.
Those interested in pledging can complete a Birdies for Babies pledge form online, download one from ArnoldPalmerInvitational.com by clicking on the “Charities” page, or pick one up at any of the community golf and retail partner locations listed on the Web site. Just for filling out a pledge form, participants are eligible to receive one of several hundred gifts provided by local businesses, including gift cards and free rounds of golf. Plus, they will have the chance to guess the total number of birdies that will be scored at this year’s tournament, with a correct guess making them eligible to win one of three grand prizes:
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Stay-and-Play at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge; includes two (2) deluxe rooms for one (1) night, buffet breakfast and a round of golf for four (4).
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Four (4) weekly clubhouse badges for the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard.
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Four (4) Annual 2-Park Power Passes to Universal Orlando Resort.
“Our partnership with the Foundation is a key element of the Tournament, and paramount to our commitment to the Orlando community,” said Scott Wellington, Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard tournament director. “We are proud to support the Birdies for Babies program and hope that all tournament birdie records are broken this year.”
About Winnie Palmer Hospital For Women & Babies
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 285-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of women and babies. The hospital includes comprehensive fetal diagnostics and labor and delivery services, a regional center for neonatal intensive care, maternal intensive care and women’s services. Annually, more than 14,000 babies are expected to be born at Winnie Palmer Hospital, making it the busiest labor and delivery unit in the state of Florida. To learn more, visit www.winniepalmerhospital.com.
About The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented By Mastercard
The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard will hold its 31st annual tournament March 23-29, 2009. The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard is one of Central Florida’s signature events, a premier sporting event and a highlight of the PGA TOUR, attracting some of the greatest talent in golf. The entire event is overseen and directed by one of the game’s all-time greats — Arnold Palmer. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, including Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.
For more information visit ArnoldPalmerInvitational.com.