Community

As an official event of the PGA TOUR, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is extremely proud of the company it keeps when it comes to charity.

The PGA TOUR, its players and tournaments support more than 3,000 charities. These local and national organizations work in a range of areas affecting the lives of millions in the communities where we live and play.

The 2022 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday marked the inaugural year in which Stephen and Ayesha Curry's Oakland-based Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation became one of the Memorial’s collaborating charitable partners, joining Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and the Tournament’s more than 47-year relationship with Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

The Memorial Tournament’s enhanced charitable model continues to support Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the areas of most need at the hospital. In addition, the Memorial provides Eat. Learn. Play. with incremental support with a portion of its charitable proceeds benefiting Nationwide Children’s Hospital programs and services that share the mission focus of Eat. Learn. Play., which includes fighting to end childhood hunger, improving literacy and access to quality education, and providing safe places for all children to play and be active. Nationwide Children’s and Eat. Learn. Play. identified the following collaborative programs to receive designated charity funds from the 2022 Memorial: The Linden Fresh Market and Charitable Pharmacy – Linden Area Focus Program, Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK), Reach Out and Read (ROR), and Play Strong.

Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation

In June of 2010 a charitable alliance was announced among the Memorial Tournament, Nationwide Children's and Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. The alliance established Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation as a lead charity of the Memorial Tournament and supporter of Nationwide Children's. Driven by a passion to come to the aid of all those impacted by childhood illnesses, the Nicklaus family formed its Foundation in 2004. The mission of the Foundation was and remains simple yet powerful: To support programs and activities that advance and enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of childhood diseases and disorders. The goal of the Nicklaus family has been to broaden the reach of the Foundation’s helping hand assuring all proceeds from the Memorial Tournament's philanthropic initiatives remain in central Ohio. Learn more: Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation 

Nationwide Children's Hospital

The Memorial Tournament continues the PGA TOUR's philanthropic focus through its several relationships with Central Ohio charities. The most significant of which is more than 47-year relationship with Nationwide Children's Hospital. Contributions generated through the support of over 2,600 volunteers and several fundraising initiatives are distributed each year to the Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the areas of most need at Nationwide Children's. Learn More: Nationwide Children's Hospital 

The Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

In honor of the Memorial’s support, Nationwide Children’s Hospital dedicated its main campus Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as the Memorial Tournament NICU. As America’s largest neonatal network, Nationwide Children’s Neonatal Intensive and Special Care Units provide the highest level of care for more than 3,000 babies each year. Nationwide Children’s dedicates itself to not only treating, but ultimately preventing all complications of prematurity.

This extraordinary number of patients allows Nationwide Children’s to provide the highest level of experience and translate that expertise into programs that addresses fetal diagnosis and therapies, across the spectrum of newborn conditions, to essential long-term follow-up care. It is the combination of all these things, with the dedication and commitment of the NICU teams and families, that allows Nationwide Children’s to provide babies with cutting edge interventions, exceptional care, and in turn, remarkable outcomes. 

Stephen & Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation

2022 was the inaugural year that Stephen and Ayesha Curry's Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation joins the Memorial Tournament as a charitable beneficiary alongside Nationwide Children's Hospital and Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. Eat. Learn. Play. is committed to unlocking the amazing potential of every child by fighting to end childhood hunger, improving literacy and access to quality education, and providing safe places for all children to play and be active. Rooted in three of the most vital pillars for a healthy childhood—nutrition, education, and physical activity—Eat. Learn. Play. closes opportunity gaps for children to live out their dreams. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Eat. Learn. Play. has partnered with nonprofits, restaurants, and other agencies to provide over 17 million meals and 10 million pounds of groceries to families in need. Learn more: Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation 

Extending Charitable Compassion

In addition to Nationwide Children's Hospital, Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, and Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, the Memorial Tournament’s charitable endeavors also include unique and successful relationships with Fore Hope, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Wolfe Associates, First Tee – Central Ohio, Shriners, Lions Club and many, many more. Since 1976, the Memorial Tournament has donated over $46 million to support both local and national charitable organizations.

Community Outreach Programs

Bears for Nationwide Children’s
Each bear sold through the Bear's for Nationwide Children's program supports the Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and local programs that align with the missions of Nationwide Children's and the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation through an alliance with the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation. Learn more: Bears For Nationwide Children's

Benefit Concert

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday’s annual Benefit Concert brings the central Ohio community together for a night of music and giving. Each year a national recording artist takes the stage as the centerpiece to raise funds for the alliance of the Memorial Tournament presented Workday’s charitable partners, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Stephen and Ayesha Curry's Eat. Learn. Play., and Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. 

Since its inception, the Benefit Concert has raised more than $800,000 for Nationwide Children’s thanks to the continued support from NetJets, who joined the Benefit Concert in 2018; IGS Energy, now in its 14^th year as the concert’s title sponsor; and City of Dublin, which has backed the event from its start in 2007. 

For more information about the 2024 concert, please call the Benefit Concert Hotline: (614) 600-2004.

FORE! Miler presented by OhioHealth
The FORE! Miler is a community run/walk event hosted annually to celebrate the playing of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and to serve as a fundraiser that highlights and benefits the alliance between the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Stephen and Ayesha Curry's Eat. Learn. Play. The FORE! Miler has become a signature event of the Memorial and established itself as one of the premier four-mile running events in Columbus, welcoming over 2,000 runners/walkers each year to Muirfield Village Golf Club and Dublin, Ohio. For more information visit: FORE! MILER

Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide
The Legends Luncheon is a unique, award-winning fundraiser that brings to life the alliance between the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. All proceeds of the Legends Luncheon directly benefit the young patients and families that Nationwide Children’s compassionately serves each day.

The goal of the Luncheon is to support advances in pediatric care and research throughout the areas of most need at Nationwide Children’s. Luncheon guests annually enjoy a special conversation with Memorial Tournament Founder and Host Jack Nicklaus and a distinguished guest influential in the game of golf. Past Legends Luncheons have featured golf royalty, like Nancy Lopez, Jim Furyk, Annika Sorenstam, Sir Nick Faldo, Johnny Miller, Greg Norman, Hale Irwin, and Judy Rankin.

Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award
The Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award is given annually to a patient or family who in some way has demonstrated a strong, driving spirit in overcoming obstacles, an unwavering optimistic outlook, and a strong conviction for their connection to Nationwide Children’s. The award is presented each year by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus during the Legends Luncheon and honors the courage within that inspires volunteerism and community outreach, which has a positive influence on others.

Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award Winners
2023: Hunter Young
2022: Neil Taylor
2021: Savannah Parsons
2020: Anna Earl
2019: Matthew McClish
2018: Maddi Webb
2017: Makya Marvi
2016: Kyle Mitchell
2015: Juan Crestanello
2014: Griffin Hayden
2013: Addie McGarry
2012: Beau Hefner
2011: Caitie Bogenrief

The Memorial’s Clubhouse Kids presented by Scotts
The Memorial’s Clubhouse Kids is the Tournament’s youth program and includes three initiatives, The Memorial’s Clubhouse Kids Golf Tour, Junior Golf Day (including Family Night) and an interactive website at memorialclubhousekids.com. For more information please click HERE to visit the website.

Volunteer of the Year presented by Columbia Gas through the NiSource Charitable Foundation
Volunteers are at the heart of the Memorial Tournament’s dedication to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Every year thousands of volunteers share their passion for helping others by giving their time and talents to the success of the Tournament. It is in recognition of these selfless men and women that the Tournament annually honors an individual as the Volunteer of the Year. For more information, including past winners, visit: Volunteer of the Year