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Mickelson announces Birdies for the Brave program Phil Mickelson has joined together with the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Charities, Inc., for a new program -- Birdies for the Brave -- that will provide fans the opportunity to honor and assist America's military men and women. Get a complete overview PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Phil Mickelson joined the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Charities, Inc., in announcing today a new program -- Birdies for the Brave -- that will provide fans a way to honor and assist America's military men and women on a PGATOUR.com hosted site. Mickelson was the catalyst behind the creation of the program in 2004. Earlier this year, he offered PGA TOUR Charities the opportunity to host the program on PGATOUR.com. Although Mickelson is the first PGA TOUR player to endorse the PGA TOUR Charities’ Birdies for the Brave effort on PGATOUR.com, more players are expected to join the effort in the weeks ahead as well as other military organizations that are affiliated with individual TOUR players. For the first time, fans can join forces with Phil to make contributions of any amount. The program consists of fans pledging a monetary amount to PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. for each birdie made by Mickelson during an official PGA TOUR event. Fans will have the option of pledging their support on an annual basis or per tournament and can also find more information and links to the program on PGATOUR.com Proceeds will be directed to one of two military organizations supported by Mickelson -- the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and/or Homes for Our Troops. Starting today, fans can visit http://www.birdiesforthebrave.org/, set a donation amount, and make a pledge to support deserving military families. “I’m honored to be a part of PGA TOUR Charities’ Birdies for the Brave program,” said Mickelson. “Charity has always been an important part of the TOUR package but I don’t see this as charity. I see it as a salute to all the servicemen and women who have made and are still making such an enormous sacrifice for all of us.” Phil Mickelson meets with invited guests from the Walter Reed Medical Center. (Rogash/WireImage) The Founding Supporters of the Birdies for the Brave effort are the Amy and Phil Mickelson Charitable Gift Fund, BearingPoint, Callaway, Homes for Our Troops, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, America Supports You and PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. "The 17,500 employees of BearingPoint all take great pride in the firm's partnership with Phil Mickelson. He displays the integrity of a champion on and off the course, including being a tireless advocate for the men and women in our military who serve America," said Harry You, Chief Executive Officer, BearingPoint. "BearingPoint has a long history of serving our armed services clients and we share Phil's commitment to supporting the soldiers and their families." “We at Callaway Golf are proud to partner with Phil and Amy Mickelson in supporting the men and women of the United States military and their families by being part of the Birdies for the Brave program,” said George Fellows, President and CEO of Callaway Golf. “We applaud Phil for his selfless efforts on behalf of the families of our soldiers who lay their lives on the line to protect America. He has given millions of fans another reason to cheer and to join with him and Amy by pledging their support to this great cause.” “On behalf of PGA TOUR Charities, Inc., I am delighted that Phil invited us to host this program on PGATOUR.com,” said Charlie Zink, Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer. “This is another fine example of how golf and charity work so well together to generate meaningful contributions to worthy causes.” “The PGA TOUR has a long history of support for our military men and women, and their families, and we are grateful for all they do as members of the America Supports You program,” said Allison Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. “Through Birdies for the Brave the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Homes for Our Troops, two America Supports You member organizations, will receive greatly needed resources. America Supports You continues to be very grateful for the commitment of the PGA TOUR and especially the leadership Phil Mickelson is providing for this great program.” “The Warrior Foundation is deeply appreciative of the continued support of Phil and Amy Mickelson, and the generosity of the PGA TOUR, BearingPoint and Callaway Golf,” said Col. John T. Carney, U.S. Air Force (Ret), SOWF President. “With 100 students enrolled in colleges and universities across the country, the Birdies for the Brave program will provide college funds for the children of our fallen warriors currently attending school and for the hundreds of children who have yet to reach college age." "Phil played his 2005 season on behalf of Homes for Our Troops, providing us with a substantial contribution of his own and also inspiring his many fans to support our mission to assist the men and women who serve our country,” said John Gonsalves, President & Founder. “We are honored that he is once again supporting us through the Birdies for the Brave program. Thanks to his efforts and support for our organization, we have been able to help severely injured veterans across the country move into homes adapted to meet the physical challenges they face as a result of the life-altering injuries they suffered while defending our country.” About Phil Mickelson Phil Mickelson has won 29 PGA TOUR events since his debut in 1992, including three major championships since 2004. He has represented the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Homes for Our Troops for the last two years and on average, their Fund has made a donation for a birdie or eagle on every fourth hole he’s played. The Phil and Amy Mickelson Charitable Gift Fund also has made substantial contributions to both organizations in addition to his on-course efforts. About BearingPoint BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE: BE) is one of the world's largest providers of management and technology consulting services to Global 2000 companies and government organizations in 60 countries worldwide. Based in McLean, Va., the firm has approximately 17,500 employees and major practice areas focusing on the Public Services, Financial Services and Commercial Services markets. For nearly 100 years, BearingPoint professionals have built a reputation for knowing what it takes to help clients achieve their goals, and working closely with them to get the job done. For more information, visit the Company's website at http://www.bearingpoint.com/ About Callaway Golf Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) is the world’s largest manufacturer of golf clubs and a leading manufacturer of golf balls. A global company with more than 3,500 worldwide employees, Callaway Golf has subsidiaries in Japan, Europe, Korea, Canada and Australia. For nearly a quarter century, Callaway Golf has designed, created and marketed golf products and services designed to make every golfer a better golfer. Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf accessories, under the Callaway Golf®, Top-Flite®, Odyssey® and Ben Hogan® brands. For more information visit http://www.callawaygolf.com/. About Homes for Our Troops Homes for Our Troops is a non-profit organization helping those who have selflessly given to their country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries. We assist injured service men and women and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and coordinating the process of building a new home or adapting an existing home for handicapped accessibility. These services are provided at no cost to the veterans we are honored to assist. For more information, please visit our web site at www.homesforourtroops.org. About the Special Operations Warrior Foundation For more than 25 years, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation has been dedicated to providing college educations to the children of special operations forces killed in combat or training missions. The Foundation provides scholarship grants, not loans, along with family, financial and educational counseling. The grants cover tuition, books, fees, room and board. The Foundation currently has more than 100 students enrolled in colleges and universities across the country. For more information, please visit http://www.specialops.org/. About America Supports You America Supports You is an ongoing nationwide program that helps showcase American’s support for the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. Since its launch in November of 2004 by the Department of Defense, the America Supports You program has welcomed over 225 grassroots organizations and more than 25 corporate sponsors to its team. Many America Supports You team members support the troops through letter writing, care packages, helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending an email or kind gesture—to learn more about how you can support military personnel please visit http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/. About PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It was established in 1985 for the purpose of generating funds for donation to and support of other qualified charitable organizations, and to promote and foster an interest in youth golf through the operation of junior golf clinics. Contributions to PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Recent fundraising efforts of PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. include the US Golf Tsunami Relief Fund, which raised funds for the Bush-Clinton Tsunami Relief Fund, the US Golf Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund (which benefited Bush-Clinton Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and other disaster relief organizations), Champions Tour for the Cure benefiting Prostate Cancer Research, and the America Supports You campaign in conjunction with Tournament Players Clubs across the nation, which is providing support to the United States military through three beneficiaries of donations (Wounded Warrior Project, Homes for Our Troops and Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund). Tax Information: PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. is not an accounting, taxation, or financial advisor, and nothing contained within our Service should be relied upon in determining the accounting, tax, or financial consequences of making a contribution to a nonprofit organization through PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. Although a contribution to a nonprofit organization is generally deductible by individuals who itemize their deductions, an individual’s right to such deduction is subject to a variety of limitations, including the obligation to obtain an acknowledgement regarding contributions of $250 or more from the donee charitable organization. PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. strongly recommends that you consult with your own tax advisor as to the specific tax provisions that may be applicable to your contribution. About PGATOUR.com PGATOUR.com is the official site for the PGA TOUR, and the home of TOURCast. Fans get live PGA TOUR event scoring, exclusive content, video and multimedia. PGATOUR.com gets fans inside the ropes and up close to TOUR players. The site covers the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and the Nationwide Tour. PGATOUR.com is the #1 site in golf. About CBS SportsLine CBS SportsLine is at the leading edge of media companies providing Internet sports content, Fantasy sports and e-commerce. In addition to its flagship service, the company publishes the official Web sites of the NFL, PGA TOUR and NCAA Sports. CBS SportsLine is a member of the CBS family and a part of CBS Digital Media. For more information about CBS SportsLine.com and for the latest sports news, scores and expert analysis, please visit cbs.sportsline.com. |
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