More than 100 golfers came out for the sixth annual Erie Insurance Charity Challenge Golf Tournament, and for good reason. They were vying for a piece of the record $106,300 teams won for local charities. Twenty-eight teams made up of local businesses put their best four golfers together to hit the greens at the Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pa., in mid-September to win cash for the cause they care about.
For-profit businesses are invited to participate in the tournament, with each team picking a charity. One hundred percent of the entry fees are donated to the charities, with teams placing in the top spots receiving the highest contributions. The remaining dollars are divided among all charities. Every charity received a minimum of $1,750 with the winning charity receiving $15,000. Participants also received awards for skill competitions.
"What makes this tournament unique is that every dollar of the entry fee goes to charity because the cost of the tournament is underwritten by Erie Insurance," said Melissa McGill, senior community outreach specialist. "Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, area charities have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding over the last six years."
PNC Bank takes first place
This year, the team from PNC Bank finished in first place, winning $15,000 for the Housing and Neighborhood Development 
Service (HANDS), which develops quality, affordable housing for senior citizens, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and others.
"What a brilliant idea to bring business leaders together to benefit Erie's charities," said HANDS executive director Chuck Scalise. "As the lucky named charity of PNC Bank, we feel even more blessed. Many thank yous!"
Finishing in second place was Industrial Sales & Manufacturing, which awarded its $13,000 prize to the JC Martin Golf Course Restoration Fund, which supports specific renovation projects on the nine-hole JC Martin Golf Course in Erie, Pa.
Marnen Mioduszewski Bordonaro Wagner & Sinnott finished third, raising $10,000 for JFK Kids' Café, an after-school center for at-risk youth.
(Photo: Thinkstock/kzenon)
Challenge started in 2010
President and CEO Terry Cavanaugh first introduced Charity Challenge to Erie Insurance in 2010. That year, 21 teams played for a total of $38,000 in charitable donations. Since then, Charity Challenge has grown into what is considered by participants as the premier golf tournament in Northwest Pennsylvania. In six years the tournament has raised a total of $448,000 for local charities.
"We designed the event as a fun way to support all of the great work our local charities do and to give those charities an opportunity to build relationships with individuals and area businesses that are passionate about their cause," said McGill. "Community service is a valued tradition for Erie Insurance and we're always open to new ways to give back. This tournament is one way we're able to support our community and connect with businesses that share that same value."
McGill, who has coordinated the event for the last three years, leads a team of more than 60 employee volunteers.
"That kind of collective power is necessary to keep the event running smoothly," said McGill. Volunteers helped behind the scenes and on the course, serving as team scorekeepers, golf cart drivers and hole spotters for various individual challenges.
"Charity Challenge was absolutely awesome," said one volunteer. "I have played in tournaments all over and been to some pretty exclusive events, and none of them had the professionalism that this event had."
Individual challenges too
McGill noted that there are a variety of individual challenges within the tournament that amplify friendly competition among the players. Golfers compete in the Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive challenges, earning an additional $500 each to the winner's charity; a Cavanaugh Challenge; and a Hole in One contest, which awards an additional cash prize to charity. In 2013, the first and only winner of the Hole in One contest earned $10,000 for the United Way of Erie County.
Teams also have a chance to compete in a wager game challenge against the club to raise an additional $3,300 for their charity. This year, professional golf entertainer and 2008 Senior World Long Drive Champion Dan Boever oversaw the wager game and encouraged golfers to participate.
"It's really special to see the shared respect and appreciation at this event," said McGill. "We're already looking forward to next year's tournament and hope for even more support toward charities that are so deserving."
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