Cortland County Red Cross Receives PGA Golf Championship Proceeds

The Cortland County Red Cross received a check for $620 from the PGA Fall Tour Golf Championship held at the Turning Stone Resort Golf Course recently. The check was presented to Dr. John E. Lutz, Chair of the Chapter, and Amy Winters, Chapter Finance Committee Chair, at the 2007 Charity Celebration held Thursday at the Turning Stone Event Center in Verona, NY.

Oneida Nation CEO, Ray Halbritter, said the Nation launched a new regional charitable organization, the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund, to generate funds for Turning Stone's wider community. "In its initial year, this unified regional effort produced nearly a quarter of a million dollars in new resources to benefit thousands of deserving children and families," he noted.

The Fund invited non-profit service agencies to sell tickets to the PGA Golf Championship held at the Resort. Then at the Charity Celebration, it returned the entire purchase price to the selling organizations. 113 charitable organizations shared the total of $241,805 raised through ticket sales, birdies pledges, and donations.

The Cortland County Chapter of the American Red Cross will use its earnings to help support its core mission of "Saving Lives...Giving Hope" to all people in need throughout Cortland County. Bonnie Heath, Chapter Executive, stated, "We'll use the money to support emergency services, training, and supplies needed to help local individuals and families that are especially affected by holiday season emergencies."

Red Cross Chapter Chair, John E. Lutz, and Finance Committee Chair, Amy Winters, are greeted by Oneida Nation CEO, Ray Halbritter, at 2007 Charity Celebration