Toys For Tots Golf Tournament Contributes $15,000 Worth of Toys
March 5, 2010

CHARLOTTE, NC - The organizers of Charlotte's second annual Toys For Tots Golf Tournament are pleased to announce that in December 2009 they donated to the Charlotte Toys For Tots program more than 2,200 toys valued at over $15,000. This was a significant increase over the inaugural tournament in 2008, which raised and contributed more than $11,000 worth of toys.

The toys were distributed as Christmas gifts by the Marine Corps Toys For Tots Foundation to needy children in the Charlotte area. Tournament organizers purchased most of the 2,200 toys at Learning Express at Stonecrest Shopping Center in Charlotte, which granted a significant discount so that the value of the contributions could be extended.

The 2009 golf tournament was held on Monday, October 19th at Cedarwood Country Club in Charlotte. It featured a captain's choice-format golf tournament followed by a silent auction and awards dinner. Sponsors from the Charlotte business community were generous in their contributions of funds, volunteer time, products and toys to make the event a success. (Please see below for a complete list of sponsors.)

In 2008, the overall Charlotte community contributed over 58,000 toys to the organization, allowing Toys For Tots to provide toys to more than 17,000 children in Charlotte and surrounding counties. The organization was hoping that 2009 would prove to be an even stronger year, as the difficult economy caused more and more families to seek financial assistance during the holidays.

Jack Burke, CEO of Burke Communications, the event's organizer, was very pleased by the results. "Charlotte businesses showed that, even in this difficult economy, they support the importance of giving and helping bring joy to those in need. By coming together in support of this event, we were able to bring Christmas gifts to many, many families who otherwise may not have had gifts under the tree this year. We look forward to reaching for an even higher goal at the 2010 Toys For Tots Golf Tournament."

The 2010 event is scheduled for September 27, 2010, and will be title sponsored by SSI Schaeffer. Corporate sponsor Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP and Media sponsors WBT 1110-AM and WJZY have already signed on for this year's event.

The 2009 Charlotte Toys For Tots Golf Tournament sponsors were:        

• Title Sponsor: Oceanico Group USA
• Corporate Sponsors: Century Contractors, Coastal Mortgage, Greer & Walker, LLP, Horizon Lines, Merrill Lynch, SSI Schaeffer, and Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP.
• Media Sponsors: Ballantyne Magazine, Mecklenburg Times, and WBT 1110-AM.
• Major Team Sponsors: Aaron Group, American Community Bank, CGI Benefits, Charlotte 49ers, CNP Technologies, Cunningham Associates, Custom Home Pubs, Henderson Properties, Pionear, Playback, Republic Services, and Wells Fargo.
• Vendor Sponsors: Dana Rader Golf School, Fligel Image Apparel, Hendrick Motors of Charlotte, Jason's Deli, Kenny Color Lab, Loftin & Company Printers, Pepsi, and Unisource.
• Hole Sponsors: APSI, Ballantyne Jewelers, Beacon Partners, Boatsman Gillmore, Carolina Postal Credit Union, Crown Summit Partners, Donatos, First Citizens Bank, Jarden Process Solutions, RYOBI, State Farm Insurance, Universal Monitoring, Valeriano Orthodontics, Verve Fitness, and Wendy's.

Toys for Tots is the Marine Corps' premier community action program. It is one of the nation's flagship charitable endeavors, an American tradition and a national treasure. For over 60 years, Marines have been the unchallenged leaders in looking after needy children at Christmas. The Toys for Tots message of hope has motivated youngsters to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. Toys for Tots not only benefits children, but the program also has a positive impact on communities, businesses, the Marine Corps and the nation. For more information, please visit www.toysfortotscharlotte.org.