Tag: The First Tee

First Tee celebrates 25 Years of Building Game Changers

Just two weeks ago, First Tee — Greater Philadelphia staff and board members traveled to Dallas, Texas to celebrate 25 years of Impact for the PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation. Millions of young people have been served since First Tee’s founding in 1997. Spearheaded by former PGA TOUR Commissioner, Tim Finchem, First Tee was founded to make the game of golf more accessible.

Highlights of the week included Board President Michael J. Brown receiving the Tim Finchem Leadership Award presented by CapTech. He was only the tenth awardee in the organization’s 25 year history to receive this national honor. His work was recognized for leading our chapter to the #1 ranking across the 150 chapter network. Michael has overseen the growth of the chapter to five times the size, from when he joined the board, to include the running of Walnut Lane and John F. Byrne Golf Clubs.

Jayden Goodson, 17, represented our chapter as one of 28 students to participate in First Tee’s Innovator’s Forum. Young people from across the country traveled to Dallas to participate in discussions surrounding change in their communities. The week concluded with Jayden presenting a leadership project he is committed to completing during his junior year at Roman Catholic High School.

Our chapter was also recognized for its hard work during the last five years and the chapter’s commitment to being a positive and bright light in the Philadelphia community. As we plan to celebrate our 20th Anniversary as a chapter in 2023, we are proud to continue our influential impact in the Greater Philadelphia community by Building Game Changers.

Leaders and Achievers Gala

On February 9, 2017, The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia hosted the 2017 Leaders & Achievers Gala at Cescaphe Ballroom. The event had more than 200 attendees to celebrate the first ever event. The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia’s Board President, Jay Sigel, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless service to the chapter for more than four decades. Motivational speaker, Erik Weihenmayber, inspired the audience with his tales from his climbing Everest and most recently his kayaking the 277-mile expanse down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. These stories and more are featured in his new book No Barriers. Throughout the evening, guests heard from various The First Tee participants such as Caitlyn Plover and Charli Jones. They also heard from Parent, volunteer, and coach Johnnie Baker.