FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		Contact:  Steve Gerrish, The First Tee
March 3, 2009		(904) 940-4314

THE FIRST TEE CONCLUDES 2009 NETWORK MEETING
More than 600 attend keynote address by General Colin Powell

SAN JOSE, CA – The First Tee concluded its biennial network meeting with a gala dinner event March 1.  General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) and founder of America’s Promise Alliance, with whom The First Tee partnered in 2008, served as the keynote speaker at the dinner.

“I have been involved in a number of youth-serving programs and I don’t know of any that have grown as rapidly and firmly as The First Tee,” said General Powell.  “Your success, however, rests with the simple reality that you are serving a real need in our society. 

“We need youngsters who have had placed in their hearts, by the adults in their lives, the Nine Core Values of The First Tee,” continued Powell.  “Young people must be taught these values and believe they can help them move upward.  We want kids to believe in themselves, to believe in their communities, give back to others and believe in America.

“The First Tee gives kids a sense of place, a sense of purpose, something to believe in.  More than ever before in our history we need to surround our children with the sense of the possible.  We need to fill them with confidence and the ethic of hard work and honesty.  What you are doing is noble work.  I look forward to an even more successful partnership as we work to save all of our children and make America even better than it is now.”

Earlier in the day, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of The First Tee, challenged colleagues to continue investing in young people.  “The young people we see every day are at risk,” said Barrow.  “We have a responsibility to create the type of energy that is necessary to positively influence the next generation of leaders.  It is our time to make a difference and to continue to prepare our young people, who will accept society’s challenges.”

The theme of the four-day meeting was Forces Fore Good, named after the highly acclaimed book Forces for Good, which examines the practices of high-impact nonprofits.  Co-author Heather McLeod Grant spoke to attendees in a featured session about steps they can take to become agents of change.

 More than 400 board members, executive directors, coaches, teachers, staff and volunteers attended daily educational sessions to share best practices and hear from motivational speakers, including five participants from The First Tee Chapters.  The addition of meeting sponsors and special guests increased attendance at the gala dinner to over 600 people.

Other meeting highlights included an address by Phyllis Campbell, president and chief executive officer of The Seattle Foundation and an inspirational talk by NFL Hall of Fame member Ronnie Lott.  In addition, an awards luncheon was held to recognize a variety of personnel for their contributions to the network.  Honorees included:

George Bush/Shell Oil Volunteer of the Year Award
Mo Penix, The First Tee of San Antonio

Jack Stephens Leadership Award
Arthur Dansby, The First Tee of South Los Angeles

World Golf Foundation Chairman’s Award
Sandra deAlcuaz, The First Tee of Modesto
Jan Gann, The First Tee of Pine Mountain
John MacDonald, The First Tee of Philadelphia
Dianne Overstreet, The First Tee of Houston/Redstone
Ben Woo, The First Tee of Singapore

The First Tee Founders’ Award
Rusty and Carol Petrea, The First Tee of Brunswick County
CourseCo, Inc.
Nonprofit Risk Management Center

The First Tee will conduct its next meeting February 17-20, 2011 in San Antonio, TX.

About The First Tee
The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, FL at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame.  Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.  Through its network of more than 200 community-based Chapters and 700 program locations, as well as a presence in more than 2,600 elementary schools, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 2.9 million participants and students in 49 states and four international locations – Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore.   Former President George H. W. Bush serves as honorary chairman.  The Founding Partners of The First Tee are the Augusta National Golf Club, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA.

America’s Promise Alliance
For more information about America’s Promise Alliance, please visit www.americaspromise.org.