NAIFA Charity Outreach Classic

Future for KIDS Vice-Chairman, Bennett Conklin, summarized the event best: "The 2010 2nd annual NAIFA Charity Outreach Classic is in the books". It all started off with the VIP party at The MAX Sports Grill in Scottsdale. Duke Nyugen played the "host with the most" as upwards of 250 guests descended upon his establishment. There was a Silent Auction with sports memorabilia, spa packages, hotel stays and the like. There was even a rescue puppy, a Jack Russell mix, that was lucky enough to go home with our title sponsors, Carrie and Chris Fesler (oh, what a life). There were cars on display from Coulter Cadillac and FeslerBuilt that were to be the hole-in-one cars for the tournament, and the raffle prize was a 42" HD Plasma TV.

The day of the tournament at The Arizona Biltmore Resort was literally chamber of commerce weather -- partly sunny, 72 degrees, with a slight breeze. Players started showing up at around 10:30, registering, hitting a basket of balls and having a quick bite of lunch at the Adobe Clubhouse. At the Noon Shotgun they were off. On the course they enjoyed a casino hole, a challenge from Tyler Hunter with Krank Golf, and two hole-in-one opportunities. The first was sponsored by Coulter Cadillac; if the player hit the hole-in-one they got their choice of a 2010 Cadillac SRX, Buick Lucerne, or GMC Terrain SUV. The other hole-in-one was sponsored by our Charity Outreach title sponsor Chris Fesler of FeslerBuilt. If the shot was made, the player got their choice between two $98,000 fully customized, 600 hp 2010 Fesler/Moss Camaros. Unfortunately, nobody had the winning stroke that day.

After the tournament came the awards presentation and raffle giveaways. The winning team was 18 stokes under. David Griffin, Sam Mann, Mike Palomino, Mike Macchiaroli and their celebrity, NFL Alumni Michael Bankston, walked away with the top honors and will have to defend their spot next year as they are already signed up. During the awards presentation the players enjoyed burgers and chicken put on by the Biltmore Hotel. All in all, it was a great success and over $12,000 was raised for Future for KIDS.

VIP Party and Golf Tournament

The Monday Night Football VIP Party and 9th Annual Golf Classic were a huge success. A special thanks to our 3rd-year sponsor, Desert Sportsman and Chris Baiker. The Bungalow Bar & Grill generously hosted the VIP Party on Nov. 16th attended by 300 guests, including special guest, Charles Barkley, and other professional athletes. Trish and Rich Clark ensured that our guests had a fabulous time by serving delicious food and complimentary cocktails. Long-time board member, Tony Brown, chaired the events, raising over $67,000 for kids in our community. Special thanks to Tony for ensuring the tournament was second to none!

Billing Tree Rock Block Concert Raises $40,000 for Charity

The GivingTree Rock Block Benefit Concert on Nov. 14 benefitting Future for KIDS and The V Foundation raised $40,000 for charity. We are pleased to have received a $20,000 donation through the generosity of Dan Willis and the entire staff at Billing Tree. Their staff planned and orchestrated a concert that featured Eric Hutchinson, The Chad Hollister Band, and The Groove Merchants, three great bands that have a strong local following. The Upper Deck in Old Town Scottsdale was standing-room only as over 700 concert goers enjoyed the evening which featured a complimentary pasta dinner generously hosted by Oreganos. VIP guests enjoyed complimentary drinks and an incredible buffet on the upper floor overlooking the party and concert. A special thank you goes to everyone at Billing Tree for their generous Christmas spirit as this concert was also their Employee Christmas Party!!!

Future For KIDS at the PGA Tour

Future for KIDS was represented at The Frys.com Open (October 21-25) at The Grayhawk Golf Club. Golfers Michael Allen, Michael Bradley, and Andrew Watkins sported Rodney Dangerfield style golf bags (think Caddyshack). Their bags featured mini screens that showcased a Future for KIDS ad. Thank you to Joe Kirkpatrick and Bag Ads for this fun donation which helped us brand our organization.

PGA Pro Michael Allen at the Frys.com Open

Family Day at the Races Raises $45,000!

Arizona Partners Family Day at the Races raises $45,000 for Future for KIDS A very special thank you to Bruce Shapiro and everyone at Arizona Partners for hosting the Fourth Annual Family Day at the Races. Guests enjoyed a fun evening featuring go-cart racing, Segway racing, arcade games and rock climbing. The Cove Trattoria generously donated a delicious dinner for VIP guests. Division Nine Contracting was one of the presenting sponsors. In keeping with tradition, the main event was The Developer's Race, with Mike Smith winning the race for the 2nd year in a row. Congratulations Mike!!!! Mike generously donated his winnings from the race back to Future for KIDS.