The Thunderbirds, hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, donated over $240,000 this year to the Arizona Special Olympics.   If you’ve ever been to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, chances are good that you’ve witnessed the blue-tunic-clad guys roaming about TPC Scottsdale acting like they run the place. Well, for that week anyway, they do. But before you chalk it up as just another opportunity for golfers to rub elbows, it’s important to realize how that special event benefits other special events. The Special Olympics Arizona Summer Games, for example, kick off every year with nearly 1,300 athletes competing in sports ranging from track and field and weight lifting to kayaking and tennis. This year, they all gathered Raymond Kellis High School in Glendale as well as Tempe Town Lake May 7-9 to show their stuff. “As an organization, this is one of the most rewarding weekends of the year,” said Tom King, Big Chief of The Thunderbirds. “We get an opportunity to see how much it means to these athletes to get a chance to compete, and at the end of the day, we’re thrilled to shake their hands and say ‘well done.’” The Thunderbirds – a premiere […] More

Thunderbirds Charities is a prime beneficiary of the growing success of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, now underway this week at TPC Scottsdale. Since its founding, the tournament has contributed over $90 million to Phoenix area charities, and will likely top $100 million in 2015. Qualified charitable organizations in the Greater Phoenix area have two funding cycle deadlines each year. The Spring Funding Cycle is now closed as of March 1, 2015 at 5:00pm MST. Please check back in early August 2015 for Thunderbirds Charities Fall Funding Cycle information. Thunderbirds Charities only accepts grant proposals submitted through its website. To submit a proposal you will need an email address and your organization’s IRS tax ID number. You also must be able to attach all required materials. This means that you must have the documents stored electronically and accessible to upload during the online proposal process. To learn more about how your organization can benefit through Thunderbirds Charities, please click here to visit the website’s to learn how to apply online. More

Arizona Helping Hands thanks Thunderbirds Charities for their $25,000 grant in support of our Helping Hands for Foster Kids (“HHFK”) program. This program provides beds, cribs, clothing, diapers and other essential needs to the over 16,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system. HHFK was begun in 2013 and as the word has spread to caseworkers and foster parent groups, the growth in services has been phenomenal. 60 beds were provided to foster parents in 2013, over 500 were provided in 2014. The Thunderbird grant will help AHH continue to expand service to foster families who step up to care for these children. “Children in foster care are frequently moved into new situations with nothing but the clothes on their back. To be able to provide assistance to these families truly does make a difference”, says Executive Director Dan Shufelt. He tells of a great grandmother (“GG”) who recently took in her 4 great grandchildren. AHH provided her with beds, clothing and toiletries to help ease the transition. “GG herself was orphaned at age 9 when her mother died. Despite the challenges and demands her 4, 7, 9 and 11 year old great grandchildren place on her, physically, emotionally and financially, […] More

Hospice of the Valley has been awarded a $15,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities for the New Song Center for Grieving Children. The grant supports the Enduring Ties program, which serves children ages 4 or older who have experienced the death of a sibling, regardless of cause of death or whether the child received hospice care. Parents and guardians of children also participate in a support group that meets separately from the children and teens, who are divided into age-appropriate groups. It is the first program of its kind in Maricopa County. There is no cost to enroll. “Hospice of the Valley and their New Song Center serve such an important role here in the Valley,” said Thunderbirds Big Chief Tom King. “And while we hope no child ever loses a sibling, sadly we know it’s an unavoidable reality. The work the Enduring Ties program accomplishes in the healing process is tremendous and something we’re proud to support.” The death of a child turns a family’s life upside down. Sibling survivors are at high risk for complicated grief, which if left unresolved can lead to emotional and behavioral problems as an adult. Parents are often struggling to cope with their own […] More

Last fall, Thunderbirds Charities donated $100,000 to Phoenix Children’s Hospital to purchase a new Crews’n Healthmobile, a mobile medical unit that provides free, comprehensive medical services directly to children and young adults up to the age of 25 who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. On Tuesday, December 9th, the new Crews’n Healthmobile was unveiled in front of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The unit is specially outfitted with three exam rooms and the latest pediatric medical technology. This is a second mobile medical unit and will expand services throughout the valley. The original Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) was established by a partnership in 2000, with Children’s Health Fund and Home Base Youth Services. Over the past 15 years, the program has grown to include the mobile medical units and host 18 weekly clinics. The newest Crews’n Healthmobile is state-of-the-art and is one of the most technologically advanced mobile units in the country. “We’re proud to support Phoenix Children’s Hospital and their Crews’n Healthmobile,” said Thunderbirds Big Chief Tom King. “They see about 1800 unique patients per year through 4,000 medical visits to their mobile unit. This second Mobile Medical Unit will help PCH treat more people across our community.” The […] More

Thunderbirds Charities, the charitable giving arm of the Thunderbirds – hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, donated $50,000 to St. Mary’s Food Bank. The official check presentation took place on Monday, November 24. St. Mary’s Food Bank will use this grant to provide more than 58,000 meals to at-risk children through a variety of hunger programs targeted to help those in need. More than one in four Arizona children are classified as “food insecure” and do not know where their next meal will come from. “On behalf of Arizona’s hungry children, we are thrilled to receive this generous grant from the Thunderbirds as they continue their long and distinguished tradition of helping this community,” said St. Mary’s President and CEO Beverly Damore. “The children we will reach through these programs live with hunger on a daily basis. But if we are able to reach them and provide the necessity of basic nutrition, we have seen the positive results in both their overall health and ability to thrive in the classroom.” Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Thunderbirds Charities Board consists of 15 board […] More

Over the summer, when many of us were escaping the Arizona heat, Chandler student Emma Baier was taking 1st place in Arizona and 2nd place nationally in the InvestWrite financial essay competition. InvestWrite, made possible by the Thunderbirds and delivered by the Arizona Council on Economic Education, challenges 4th – 12th graders to analyze investments and recommend portfolio allocations targeting long term financial goals. Emma Baier was among 20,000 students nationwide who took the InvestWrite challenge, developing the personal financial savvy needed to make real-world financial decisions. Emma’s winning essay, Tesla vs. Ford, spelled out which is a better investment and why. It takes years to build up the financial savvy to navigate the markets. And Emma is decades ahead of the game. As an 8th grader, Emma claimed this recognition in the middle school division in the spring 2014 competition. The winning InvestWrite essays are chosen through rigorous judging by thousands of teachers and industry professionals who evaluate students’ understanding of asset allocation, the stock market, and factors that drive investments as well as their expression of investment ideas in essay form. It is a transformative program that prepares students like Emma for college, career and life while teaching […] More

In an effort to improve the life and health of children and families in the Phoenix area, Thunderbirds Charities have partnered with Starlight Children’s Foundation and Banner Thunderbird Medical Center to support pediatric patients through sponsorship of two Starlight® Site treatment rooms and a Starlight® Tablet. These generous gifts will help the hospital support more than 5,000 children and families every year, directly at the point of care. A ribbon-cutting dedication and tour of the treatment rooms took place at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center from 4 – 5 p.m. on June 4. The ceremony was hosted by Tom Dickson, CEO of Banner Thunderbird Medical Center and Tom King, Big Chief of The Thunderbirds, host organization of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Other ceremony participants included Wendy Pauker, the hospital’s Child Life Manager, Starlight representative Allison Gentry who designed the rooms, in addition to current patients and family members from the hospital. Starlight Sites are beautifully designed, welcoming and child-friendly hospital environments that support the healing of pediatric patients during their hospital experience. Since 1990, Starlight has been transforming designated areas of sterile hospital environments into colorful, entertaining oases that can be enjoyed by young patients and their families. Starlight Sites […] More

UMOM is proud to announce and thank Thunderbirds Charities for their $60,000 donation to support renovations of UMOM’s Atkinson Family Resource Center. With this donation UMOM recently installed a new gym floor providing a wonderful space for family activities including movie nights, youth programs, after-school sports, and life skills worships. “We value our partnership with Thunderbirds Charities and the support they provide for those in need in our community”, said Darlene Newsom, UMOM CEO. “The recent Thunderbirds Charities donation will go a long way to improving the environment at UMOM for the families we serve.” UMOM plans to further renovate the activity center space that will include improvements like added storage, energy efficient doors, vinyl flooring, new furniture and installation of a ceiling projector for meetings & presentations. Thunderbirds Charities Mission: to assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in our communities. UMOM’s Mission: to prevent and end homelessness with innovative strategies and housing solutions that meet the unique needs of each family and individual. More

UPWARD for children and families recently received a $20,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities to support Project Care, Comfort and Education, which provides special education, therapy and nursing services for children who have severe disabilities and are medically fragile. The grant will specifically support registered nurse and licensed practical nurse care to ensure that the children’s medical needs are met so that they can attend school. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of Thunderbirds Charities and their commitment to children with special needs,” said UPWARD CEO Doug Carter. “UPWARD is a place where abilities thrive and every child is treated with dignity and respect.” UPWARD has been dedicated to a simple yet powerful purpose: To see past a child’s disability, recognize their unique abilities, and do everything in our power to ensure these children and their families thrive—through education, therapy and loving care. Due to a passionate commitment to this calling, Upward is many of the Valley school districts’ primary provider of special education, therapy and childcare for children with severe disabilities. For more information on UPWARD, visit www.upwardaz.org. Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. […] More

Grant expands disabilities services for young children, opens new ADAPT Shop Family Resource Center Each year, more than 2,000 children in Arizona under the age of 1 are expected to be diagnosed with a developmentally-limiting condition like cerebral palsy or spinal muscular atrophy. Thanks to a $100,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities, more of Arizona’s young children with these types of severe disabilities will be able to receive the support they need at Southwest Human Development’s ADAPT Shop. The ADAPT Shop is a unique facility where parents can bring their young children with disabilities to receive customized products and support devices. A physical therapist works with each family in their home or at the ADAPT Shop to determine what equipment would be most helpful – such as custom foam seating and mobile scooters – and products are then designed and built based on the child’s individual needs. “We are so grateful for the generous support of Thunderbirds Charities,” said Ginger Ward, CEO of Southwest Human Development. “This commitment helps us continue providing this incredible and much-needed resource for Arizona’s young children and families, expand the ADAPT Shop’s work space and create an on-site family resource center.” Children who can benefit from […] More

Thunderbirds Charities, the charitable giving arm of the Thunderbirds – hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open – recently donated $82,000 to Maricopa Integrated Heath System (MIHS) to build a Family Learning Center at the Chandler Family Health Center. On January 10, 2014, more than 200 members of the local community attended the grand opening celebration of MIHS’ fourth Family Learning Center (FLC). Housed within MIHS’ Chandler Family Health Center, the FLC will provide culturally competent services to children and families seeking reliable health information, community referrals, education classes, literacy activities and insurance enrollment assistance. The FLC also features a children’s area with books and space for storytime activities, public computers available to view health education DVDs and on-line tutorials, a group area used for health education and parenting classes and private office space used to assist individuals applying for health programs. Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Thunderbirds Charities Board consists of 15 board members from varying professional backgrounds. The mission of Thunderbirds Charities is to assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in our communities. […] More

Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development has received a $100,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities as a result of the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open, launching a collaboration to support homeless youth. Grant money will be used towards the Tumbleweed Youth Resource Centers located in Tempe and Phoenix. Youth Resource Centers (Phoenix/Tempe) is a program for homeless youth ages 12 – 25. Tumbleweed provides the most basic needs including meals, showers, clothing, access to medical care, counseling, case management, and educational and social groups in the Phoenix and East Valley area. Street-based outreach teams are another component of the Resource Centers. Vans hit the streets supplied with sack lunches, water, blankets and hygiene items to hand out to youth living on the streets. “The donation provided by Thunderbirds Charities will help insure young people living on the streets will get their most basic survival needs meet each day,” said Cynthia Schuler, Tumbleweed Chief Executive Officer. “Our Resource Centers help clients escape homelessness and work toward their individual goals of self-sufficiency.” “As Thunderbirds, we work hard all year planning and executing the Waste Management Phoenix Open,” said Thunderbirds Big Chief Tom Altieri. “The real satisfaction, though, comes from the ability to give back […] More

Thunderbird Charities gift of $150,000 to create the Thunderbirds Charities Family Resource Center has helped impact many lives including this client. The center consists of a supervised computer resource lab, a 50-seat conference room for educational, counseling and support groups; and a client advocate wing where residents have 24-hour access to staff and supportive services. Chrysalis’ Courage Campus has touched the lives of many through its comprehensive programs. One shelter resident had the following to say in regards to their time at Chrysalis. “Thank you so much for the wonderful gift you have given me. You knew me not when you took me in your good graces, with arms open wide you gave me a chance. You treated me with respect and care. You provided me with a safe home in which to live, and all the things I would need to begin again. I had no worries of food, hygiene, utilities and all the basics. It was up to me how and what I would do to reclaim my life. As I wondered and reached out, I discovered that the classes, therapy and case managers were there in place to support and encourage me through the trails. I am […] More

Waste Management Phoenix Open hosts, The Thunderbirds, will distribute $6,214,711 to local charities through proceeds raised from the 2013 tournament, Thunderbirds Big Chief Tom Altieri announced today. Since October 2003 when the tournament first brought on a title sponsor, The Thunderbirds and the Open have raised more than $60.3 million for charities ($60,376,103). In its history, dating back to 1932, the Phoenix Open has raised more than $86.1 million for charities in Arizona. “This is one of my favorite days each year; the day when a year’s worth of hard work truly pays off as the real winners of the Waste Management Phoenix Open are the local charities,” said Altieri. “The more than $6.2M we announced today will help thousands in need; we can’t thank the community and our sponsors enough for their outstanding support of this tournament.” “As North America’s environmental solutions leader, Waste Management is proud to be the title sponsor of the greenest show on grass, and we are extremely pleased that more than $6.2M of golf tournament proceeds are going to charities throughout Arizona,” said David Aardsma, Waste Management chief sales and marketing officer. The 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open, known as “The Greatest Show on […] More

The Miracle League of Arizona and the Phoenix Thunderbirds teamed up to unveil the first-ever batting cages for special-needs athletes at Miracle League Stadium on Saturday, October 26 at 10 a.m. The cages include soft toss, slow-pitch and advanced machines, giving each athlete the chance to play at their own pace. The Miracle League is a charitable organization that grants over 200 children and young adults with special needs the opportunity to play a game of baseball as a team member in an organized league. “Every child deserves the chance to play baseball,” said Dan Haren, executive director of the Miracle League. “We want to thank the Thunderbirds for providing the funding for the special needs community and giving our athletes an experience that, prior to this, they could only dream about.” “We’ve had the pleasure of donating millions of dollars to a variety of organizations across Arizona; however this donation to the Miracle League is one of the most exciting and anticipated,” said Thunderbirds Big Chief Tom Altieri. “We are really proud of it and look forward to watching many Miracle League members use the new batting cages.” The Miracle League of Arizona stadium, located near Cholla Park, at […] More