Thunderbirds Charities donates $50,000 to St. Mary’s Food Bank

Thunderbirds Charities, the charitable giving arm of the Thunderbirds – hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, donated $50,000 to St. Mary’s Food Bank. The official check presentation took place on November 24,2014.

St. Mary’s Food Bank will use this grant to provide more than 58,000 meals to at-risk children through a variety of hunger programs targeted to help those in need. More than one in four Arizona children are classified as “food insecure” and do not know where their next meal will come from.

“On behalf of Arizona’s hungry children, we are thrilled to receive this generous grant from The Thunderbirds as they continue their long and distinguished tradition of helping this community,” said St. Mary’s President and CEO Beverly Damore. “The children we will reach through these programs live with hunger on a daily basis. But if we are able to reach them and provide the necessity of basic nutrition, we have seen the positive results in both their overall health and ability to thrive in the classroom.”

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.

For more information on Thunderbirds Charities, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.