The inaugural DAP Championship, Cleveland’s Web.com Tour Finals event, has announced a charitable donation of $223,000 to the tournament’s primary charitable beneficiary, The LeBron James Family Foundation.
Ron Rice, President and Chief Operating Officer of DAP’s parent company, RPM International (above left), presented Michele Campbell, Executive Director of The LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) (above center), with the donation during the LJFF’s monthly Hometown Hall, which took place December 1 at East CLC High School in Akron.
“After partnering with The LeBron James Family Foundation in anticipation of the DAP Championship, I was humbled by the Foundation’s mission and goals,” said Ron Rice. “We are honored to support the Foundation and the championship-caliber work they do throughout the Northeast Ohio community.”
The funds raised from this year’s event will help the Foundation continue to provide resources, support, and enriching experiences for the more than 1,100 Akron Public School students currently in its Wheels for Education and Akron I PROMISE Network programs. With its mission to help students achieve their dreams through education, LJFF’s support for these students begins when they enter 3rd grade and will continue through high school and into college, where the Foundation has guaranteed all eligible students four-year college scholarships through a partnership with The University of Akron.
“We are so grateful for not only the generous contribution the DAP Championship has made to our kids, but also for their partnership in helping us support these students and their dreams,” said Michele Campbell, Executive Director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. “We know that if we want to have a real, meaningful impact on these kids’ and their families’ lives, that takes 24/7 support, 365 days a year so it’s a long-term commitment that we could not fulfill without the support of our local partners like the DAP Championship.”
Regarding the donation, LeBron James added via Twitter, “WOW…Unbelievable. Huge thank you to Ron, Jon, Cam, Kelly, & the entire DAP Champ team. #WeAreFamily #StriveForGreatness.”
The 2016 DAP Championship, held September 5-11 at Canterbury Golf Club, was won in a four-man playoff by Bryson DeChambeau. The victory earned DeChambeau his PGA TOUR card for the 2016-2017 season. DeChambeau, who played collegiate golf at Southern Methodist University, is one of five players in history to win the U.S. Amateur and NCAA Championship individual title in the same year, along with Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Ryan Moore.
“The inaugural DAP Championship was a fantastic way to start the 2016 Web.com Tour Finals with Bryson DeChambeau emerging from a four-way playoff to raise the trophy and earn his PGA TOUR card,” said Dan Glod, Chief Operating Officer of the Web.com Tour. “Today’s charitable announcement solidifies the tournament’s commitment to making a significant impact within the Northeast Ohio community and provides a strong foundation for the future.”
The 2017 DAP Championship will return to Canterbury Golf Club September 21-24. The 2017 tournament will be played as the third event of the four that make up the annual Web.com Tour Finals, and The LeBron James Family Foundation will remain the tournament’s primary charitable beneficiary. The field will include approximately 150 players, comprised of the 75 leading Web.com Tour money winners at the conclusion of the Regular Season and those players who finish Nos. 126-200 in the FedExCup and are not otherwise exempt on the PGA TOUR in 2017-18.
The DAP Championship is run by Cleveland-based Milestone Sports Management (MSM), which is responsible for all sales, marketing, and operations of the event. By spearheading the movement to bring the Web.com Tour Finals to Cleveland, MSM has put a strong focus on its consulting and business development practices in an effort to connect both the community and the charitable efforts of The LeBron James Family Foundation, while bringing PGA TOUR golf back to Northeast Ohio.
— by Cameron Marcus
Milestone Sports Management
