The Thunderbirds, hosts of WM Phoenix Open, announce record-setting charity donation
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — It was a positive headline for The Thunderbirds and the WM Phoenix Open on Tuesday after a tournament filled with negative headlines in 2024.
Tournament Chairman George Thimsen announced that a record-setting $17.5 million was raised for Arizona charities during this year’s tournament.
The funds will be partially donated to Valleywise Health and to the new Thunderbirds Charities Pediatric Burn Unit.
Thimsen joined Mark McClune at the event to discuss the record-setting donation.
“The experience and the ability to control and impact how we run an event is super important, so we are going to continue to look at the opportunities where we can improve, but really, today’s about the charity numbers, $17.5 million. The headline should read the Arizona community continues to rally a city-stopping moment that they should be proud of that impacts charities and was able to raise $17.5 million,” Thimsen said.
Expect changes to the way the tournament handles crowd control compared to 2024. No specifics were given on Tuesday, but meetings between the Thunderbirds, Scottsdale Police, and Scottsdale Fire will begin in September when construction begins on the stadium course.
The Thunderbirds and the WM Phoenix Open have raised more than $142 million ($142,112,248) since 2010, when WM was named title sponsor, and more than $208 million ($208,158,814)for Arizona Charities in its 89-year history as one of the five longest-running events on the PGA TOUR. In the last nine years alone, the tournament has raised more than $105 million.
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