First Tee – Coachella Valley Magazine
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Spring 2023
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5
Building blocks
FTCV celebrates 15 years of raising game changers
S
ince its establishment in 2008,
First Tee – Coachella Valley
has been making a significant
impact on the lives of young people
in the community through character
education golf programs. This year,
the chapter is celebrating its 15th an-
niversary and reflecting on how it
has grown and made a difference in
the lives of thousands of kids.
From one program location to six,
the chapter has expanded its reach in
the Coachella Valley, and now serves
15,000 kids in 31 schools through the
First Tee Schools Program.
Additionally, the chapter is on
track to serve more than 1,000 kids in
2023. All of the coaches are dedicated
mentors who care about their partici-
pants' growth and development.
"We build game changers in the
community," says Executive Director
of First Tee – Coachella Valley Teal
Guion. "We are helping to make the
Coachella Valley a better place to live
through character education golf pro-
grams that give kids and teens the
confidence to achieve their dreams."
One of the ways that First Tee –
Coachella Valley supports the com-
munity is by awarding three $2,000
college scholarships each year to high
school seniors who have been part of
the program for at least two years.
The chapter also holds two signifi-
cant fundraisers to support its opera-
tions: the participant-driven Golf-A-
Thon, and the Annual Fundraising
Golf Tournament, which in combina-
tion with a virtual auction raised
more than $130,000 for the program
in 2022.
"We are hoping to bring that
number up because we are playing
on two golf courses this year," says
Guion of the upcoming tournament
set for Monday, April 10, at the 36-
hole Indian Wells Golf Resort. The
organization is still accepting spon-
sorships at all levels and hoping to
fill two golf courses for the first time
in the tournament's history.
First Tee – Coachella Valley has
provided young people throughout
the region access to the game who
otherwise may never have tried it if
not for the organization.
"Providing low and no-cost pro-
grams with equipment and a mem-
bership to The Golf Center at Palm
Desert has made it possible for kids
who come from non-golfing families
to thrive and receive golf scholar-
ships to play at the collegiate level,"
says Guion. "We are so grateful for the
support of the donors and sponsors.
We hope to continue to grow the pro-
gram and reach thousands of kids
who would have never had the oppor-
tunity to learn the game of golf and
the life-changing lessons that can be
learned through the game."
...........................................................
> For more details regarding the
tournament or sponsorship, call
Teal Guion directly at (760) 834-6790.
MILESTONES
