he PGA TOUR recently announced that we at Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) was named a 2020 PGA TOUR Charity of the Year finalist. Along with the nomination, we received a $5,000 donation from the PGA TOUR.
We are honored for this esteemed recognition by the PGA Tour. We are one of six participating charities in the Champions for Youth (CFY) program, the core charitable program of the Century Club of San Diego, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages the Farmers Insurance Open, San Diego’s PGA TOUR event.
“The Farmers Insurance Open and the Century Club of San Diego congratulate STEP and thank the PGA TOUR for recognizing STEP’s critical work of supporting the young men and women of our armed forces in times of need as well as educating them on the path to financial security,” said Marty Gorsich, CEO of the Century Club of San Diego and Farmers Insurance Open.
Founded in 2012, STEP builds financial self-sufficiency among junior active duty enlisted military members and recently discharged enlisted Veterans and their families facing financial crisis through counseling, education, and grants. Junior enlisted service members earn some of the lowest wages in the country, with the first four paygrades below HUD poverty levels. Additionally, these families face high spousal unemployment, frequent moves, deployments, and limited financial literacy skills. These realities, combined with Southern California's high cost of living, make financial management challenging.
"Few civilians are aware of the financial challenges our young military families face. Being recognized by the PGA TOUR with a $5,000 gift is not only generous but validates our work on a national level,” said Tony Teravainen, CEO & Co-Founder of STEP / U.S. Navy (ret.). “We appreciate the support the Century Club of San Diego has provided every year through its Champions for Youth program. Our partnership with the Century Club and Farmers Insurance Open has brought new awareness and donors to our mission that would have taken us a decade to achieve. It's a valuable program for a non-profit of our size, and we are indebted to the world of golf for its continued generosity."
Champions for Youth is a fundraising program where selected charities that serve at-risk and underserved communities in San Diego receive development and marketing services, volunteer support, and a partial match of the funds raised. Depending on the amount raised and the number of donors each charity has, organizations receive additional funds from the Farmers Cares Bonus Pool of $285,000, donated generously by the tournament’s title sponsor, Farmers Insurance.
The 2020-2021 Champions for Youth is accepting donations now through the last day of the Farmers Insurance Open, January 31, 2021. To donate visit www.stepsocal.org/champions-for-youth
ABOUT SUPPORT THE ENLISTED PROJECT (STEP)
STEP’s mission is to build financial self-sufficiency with young military and veteran families through financial counseling, emergency grants, and other support programs. Since 2012, STEP has worked one-on-one with young military and veteran families to stop the loss of a basic need, granting over $2 million while focusing on each family's long-term financial well-being. For more information, please visit https://www.stepsocal.org/
ABOUT THE CENTURY CLUB OF SAN DIEGO
Composed of more than 50 local business leaders, the Century Club of San Diego is the 501(c)(3) organization that operates San Diego’s PGA TOUR event, the Farmers Insurance Open. Since 1961, the Century Club has utilized the annual tournament to economically benefit the city and maximize the resources and awareness generated by the event to create programs that benefit the local military community, schools, and charities with a special focus on supporting at-risk youth organizations. The 2021 Farmers Insurance Open will be played January 28-31 at the historic Torrey Pines Golf Course, host site of the 2008 and 2021 U.S. Opens. For more information, please visit www.FarmersInsuranceOpen.com
ABOUT FARMERS INSURANCE
"Farmers Insurance®" and "Farmers®" are tradenames for a group of insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 5 million households with over 15 million individual policies nationally, through the efforts of more than 45,000 exclusive and independent agents and approximately 19,000 employees. Farmers Insurance Exchange®, the largest of the three primary insurers that make up Farmers Insurance, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2020 Fortune 500 list. For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com, Twitter and Instagram, @WeAreFarmers, or Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.