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2022 check presentation – pictured left to right: Dan Sullivan (HNS Sports Group), Jamie Gaskin (United Way Genesee County), Laurie Prochazka (McLaren Health Care), Mike Rizer (Ally)

The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren announces 2022 charitable donation

Posted on Thursday, December 01, 2022

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Tournament officials announced, during a special event today, that the fifth playing of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, concluded August 28, 2022, at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, raised a record $1,758,195.97 for charitable organizations in southeastern Michigan and beyond. The 2022 amount surpasses the $1 million mark for the third time in the event’s brief history.

Since its inception in 2018, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren has donated a total of more than $6.2 million to support local charities in the greater Flint area and beyond. 

The total includes $1,587,704.98 in support of Genesee County Charities. Overall, more than 34 charities were positively impacted by The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren in 2022, including a portion of the funds for 15 plus crucial programs identified by the tournament’s primary beneficiary, United Way of Genesee County (UWGC).

Additionally, The Ally Challenge’s 2022 total charitable giving amount contains money generated through several philanthropic tournament initiatives, including Birdies for Charities presented by Ally, Ticket’s Fore Charity and the dollars raised by this year’s Celebrity Shootout.

“At the core of The Ally Challenge is raising funds to make a lasting positive impact in Flint, Genesee County and beyond,” said Mike Rizer, Executive Director, Corporate Citizenship, Ally. “Special thanks to my Ally colleagues who volunteered throughout the tournament ensuring its success and returned this year to help build a home with Genesee County Habitat for Humanity.”

"The Ally Challenge Presented by McLaren is a prime example of the collective impact that can be generated when like-minded organizations come together for the betterment of the community,” said Laurie Prochazka, Vice President of Marketing, McLaren. “With professional golf as its core, the tournament continues to elevate every year, setting records for charitable giving and adding innovative events to expand its outreach and appeal. McLaren is especially proud to have launched the first annual McLaren Adaptive Golf Clinic in 2022, providing people with physical disabilities new ways to play the game of golf. We value our continued partnership with Ally, Warwick Hills, the PGA TOUR and HNS Sports Group and look forward to building on the tournament's momentum in 2023."

UWGC this year is celebrating its 100th year of addressing educational outcomes, health access, financial stability, and the basic needs of Genesee County residents; the UWGC leverages donations from more than 200 workplace campaigns and individual investors to support over 150 programs. Last year dollars raised impacted over 100,000 lives representing every zip code of Genesee County.

The tournament’s investment will help support over 18 programs in Genesee County, impacting more than 30,000 individuals through three priority areas: Financial Literacy, Affordable Housing and Employment.

“Thank you to all the fans, players and sponsors who attended the 2022 Ally Challenge,” said James Gaskin, CEO, United Way of Genesee County. “Your participation is helping homeless veterans get back on their feet at My Brother’s Keeper; supporting home repairs with Habitat for Humanity; teaching kids the importance of fiscal management; and 15 other crucial programs helping our most vulnerable neighbors. A very special thank you to Ally and McLaren for this opportunity to impact our community.” 

Highlighted during the special presentation today was My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), a 70-bed homeless shelter serving single men, mostly veterans, with a purpose to develop and restore individuals by meeting them at their point of need. MBK believes a thriving community exists when neighbors help neighbors. The men supported through MBK’s programs become restored and impact the community in extraordinary ways. My Brother’s Keeper is not an emergency shelter. It’s a place where men who have served our country and this community go to receive the support they deserve. MBK not only receives funding through UWGC via The Ally Challenge, but also realizes direct charitable benefit from MBK volunteers and staff that operate select on-course concessions during the tournament. 

“The funds from The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren allow us to move clients toward independence in ways other funding sources aren’t able to match,” said, Debra Hayes, CEO, My Brother’s Keeper. “To us, The Ally Challenge’s impact is far greater than the dollars we receive. The atmosphere of being on the course and playing a role in the tournament’s success brings so much joy to our staff and our clients.”

The continued growth of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren’s philanthropic impact on the community was ensured on September 14, 2019, when the tournament announced a five-year extension of their agreements with title sponsor Ally Financial Inc., presenting sponsor McLaren Health Care, host venue Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, and the tournament’s agreement with the PGA TOUR. The extensions guarantee The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will continue as a PGA TOUR Champions event played at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club through 2025. 

“The tradition of giving this tournament has established in the southeastern Michigan community is inspiring,” said Rob Frederick, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren director of operations. “On behalf of HNS Sports Group and our tournament staff, I would like to thank Ally, McLaren Health Care and all our sponsors for helping make the gift of these funds a reality. The competition on the course and the energy of tournament week this year was incredible, but it’s the sincere and sustaining impact created by the dollars raised for charity that’s most important ¾ and the tournament is committed to growing that charitable spirit for years to come.”

The 2023 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will take place the week of August 21 – 27 at renowned Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.

The Ally Challenge will be one of the premier Regular Season events on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2023, which will give way to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs¾a season-ending, three-tournament series used to determine the TOUR’s season-long champion.

All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel. 

For more information about The Ally Challenge, please visit theallychallenge.com. For the latest Ally Challenge news and updates on social media follow the tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @AllyChallenge and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllyChallenge.

 

About The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren

The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren is an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions owned and operated by Tournaments for Charity, a Michigan non-profit corporation. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $2 million purse at the historic Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, MI. The event is designed to showcase the best golf on the PGA TOUR Champions for the enjoyment of spectators and to benefit local charities in the greater Flint area. All three official rounds will be internationally televised on the Golf Channel.

For more information about The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, please visit theallychallenge.com. For the latest Ally Challenge news and updates on social media, follow the tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @AllyChallenge and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllyChallenge.

About Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to "Do It Right" for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industry-leading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, point-of-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a consumer credit card business, a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. A relentless ally for all things money, Ally helps people save well and earn well, so they can spend for what matters. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.

For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.

For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com.

About McLaren Health Care

McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 14 hospitals in Michigan and Ohio, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 690,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network, virtual and retail care services and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S.  McLaren has 22,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 113,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.  Learn more at www.mclaren.org.

About HNS Sports Group

HNS Sports Group is a Dublin, Ohio-based LLC founded in 2000. The company offers over 125-plus years of collective experience and is committed to providing professional, efficient and effective client representation in the categories of sponsorship consultation, event management, hospitality management, sales representation and tournament operations within the golf market. To learn more about HNS Sports Group, visit www.hnssports.com.

  

Media Contact

Thomas P. Sprouse 

Director of Communications, 

The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren               

E-Mail: tsprouse@hnssports.com           

Office: 614-889-6791               

Mobile: 614-519-1873


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