The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren earns $50,000 donation for Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint

When Stewart Cink won last month’s The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren in Michigan, marking his first win on PGA TOUR Champions, enthusiasm ran high as to the impact the eight-time PGA TOUR winner can make on the Champions Tour scene.

But while fans were excited to see Cink capture the win at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, there was an even bigger victory for the Michigan community announced just two weeks later – The Ally Challenge finished first in the 2024 PGA TOUR Charity Challenge, earning a $50,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint.

“This was a tremendous surprise and so impactful,” said Tauzzari Robinson, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint CEO. “On one hand, it was unexpected, so it gives us an opportunity to utilize the dollars in flexible ways to meet the needs our kids and their families have. There is also the remarkable size of the gift. This is not something we would typically receive over the course of a year. So, it will provide us the opportunity to expand existing programs and even fund programs we couldn’t previously afford.”

The PGA TOUR Charity Challenge is an annual fantasy-style competition, with host organizations across the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and Korn Ferry Tour selecting a local charitable beneficiary with specific programs and services that address diversity, equity and inclusion in underserved or underrepresented communities. Every week, the amount of FedExCup points each tournament’s nine-player fantasy-style roster earned was totaled, and the team with the highest total each week won a $3,000 contribution to its charitable beneficiary. Each team’s FedExCup points were counted throughout the 2024 PGA TOUR season.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint is to enable all young people, especially those with the most need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. They promote four core values: courage, character, excellence and inclusion.

“We are incredibly proud to award these charity funds to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint,” said Erin Stone, director of business development and community engagement for The Ally Challenge. “The PGA TOUR has always been committed to charities in the communities where they operate and serve, and this program provides another example of their philanthropic focus. These funds will make a great impact for youth in the area and it’s extremely rewarding for our tournament to be a part of this special gift.”

“It is so huge for us to have The Ally Challenge on PGA TOUR Champions here as a support to us,” added Robinson, who has lived in the Flint area for 16 years. “Economically, across so many levels, having the event here is a huge win for Flint and the surrounding areas. This area does have its challenges, so it helps so much each summer around the event to have so many people coming here to fill hotels, shop and dine in our restaurants.”

In addition to the first-place prize money, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint also received $12,000 through weekly winnings during the season, bringing its total 2024 Charity Challenge donation from the PGA TOUR on behalf of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren to $62,000.

“When the PGA TOUR hosts and underwrites something like the PGA TOUR Charity Challenge, giving us the chance to win in specific communities and gift out that money, it’s not only special and meaningful, but it aligns with why having a TOUR-sanctioned event in one’s community is so impactful,” said Stone.

“We are a grateful partner with the folks at Ally,” Robinson said. “They always make a positive impact on the area and help with community service projects with not just our organization, but so many others like Habitat for Humanity and the United Way. They’ve supported us ever since The Ally Challenge came on as title sponsor. They’ve really put into the community that sweat equity to make an impact and difference.”

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint club recently started a new program space for a STEM lab because of the funds provided by Ally.

Another perk for kids involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint was the opportunity to grow through its workforce development program. Its success stemmed from the fact that it really helped kids learn about and explore career paths, colleges and other future endeavors. It also gave them the opportunity to take financial literacy courses. Kids were even provided a stipend for participating in the courses, which translated into a large economic boost to the kids and their families. That funding was about to wrap up, leaving Robinson and his team to figure out how to keep it alive because it had yielded so many success stories. With funds having become tight, though, it was about to come to an end.

“These funds could not have come at a better time,” Robinson said. “It’s going to help us fill that gap and continue that program to support our young people in that way with regard to their futures.”

“They’re trying to stay up with the trends with everything from art rooms, gaming spaces, computer programs, technology and even mental health spaces they can use as safe havens,” Stone said. “What comes out along the way is very powerful."

Along with the educational strides being made to help grow the kids, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint is also planning to bring back its golf program and partner with the First Tee. Previously, many kids had no transportation to the golf courses or clubs to play with. To now be able to help with those setbacks is a big win for the kids and families.

“It felt so good to go over there to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint, tour their facility, see what they’re doing and how ecstatic they were about the funds,” added Stone, who served on the board of the Boys & Girls Club in Memphis when she lived and worked in that area.

“Having been in many different sports over the years in my career, I really enjoy and appreciate PGA TOUR-sanctioned golf for the reason of charity,” said Stone. “It is one of the most charity-oriented sports organizations where we really do give back in meaningful ways with real dollars, numbers and, as a result, real impact.”

“It’s been incredible to see how the event has helped this community continue to grow over the years,” Robinson said. “They’ve supported us in a number of ways over the years, but this is really the cherry on top of the sundae… the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It has just been a blessing for this community to have this event here.”

Since its inception in 2018, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren has donated more than $7.3 million to support charity.