Thunderbirds Charities Donates $50,000 To Playworks Arizona

Thunderbirds Charities, the charitable giving arm of the Thunderbirds – hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open – recently donated $50,000 to Playworks Arizona to support programming in Maricopa County schools for low-income elementary school students for the 2015-16 school year.

The $50,000 contribution will help to grow Playworks’ impact in Maricopa County, and with the support of Thunderbirds Charities, Playworks Arizona expects to serve up to 20,000 children at Title 1 Elementary schools during the 2015-16 school year.

“We are grateful to receive a $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities,” says Chuck Warshaver, Executive Director of Playworks Arizona. “These funds will directly support our programming in low-income schools across the Valley positively impacting up to 20,000 children in Maricopa County.”

During the 2014-15 school year, Playworks partnered with 18 schools in Arizona, serving more than 11,800 children directly. Playworks impacted another 2,100 students through professional development trainings for school staff and youth workers across the state.
“We are impressed with the impact that Playworks has had with children in the Valley and we are excited to be able to help them continue to grow their programming to help even more low-income kids in the Phoenix area,” said Tom King, President of Thunderbirds Charities.

Playworks is the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to transform children’s physical and emotional health. Playworks currently serves more than 900 schools in 23 U.S. cities, and reaches more than half of a million students directly and through professional training services. For more information about Playworks Arizona, visit playworks.org.

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. The organization’s giving is directed toward organizations based or with a significant presence in Arizona.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members. For more information on the Thunderbirds or the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com. For more information on Thunderbirds Charities, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.