Earlier this year, professional golfer Maverick McNealy set out on his Birdies for Education campaign to raise funds for Curriki’s endeavors in open education. On this year’s Web.com/Korn Ferry Tour, he pledged to donate money for every birdie he made each tournament and invited the public to do the same. We are so excited to report these outstanding results for the tour!
His tour started in the Bahamas and led him to places such as Colombia, Panama and across the U.S. You can read his full blog recaps of the tour. Even more exciting, his performance on the Korn Ferry Tour secured him a spot in “The 25” to graduate to the PGA Tour this next season which started in September! His determination and endurance helped bring a successful season for him as a professional golfer and as a champion for education.
“I started Birdies for Education this year because, in high school, I did my volunteer hours with Curriki. It’s a non-profit for K-12 educational materials, trying to lower the cost of education and make high-quality education available to everybody. We ended up raising $385,000 for Curriki this year.”-Maverick McNealy
In addition to the pledged amounts of $385,498, numerous one-time donations have been given for the cause, bringing the total closer to $400,000! This is Maverick’s first season in the PGA and he has graciously decided to continue his support of equitable education across the globe and continue the Birdies for Education campaign! If you would like to join Maverick and help support his campaign during the PGA tour, visit Birdies for Education. You can pledge as low as $1, make a one-time donation, set up a monthly payment, or even shop from the Birdies for Education store. Your contributions will help Curriki expand its K-12 resource library and support new technology development for our global K-12 open education community.
Thank you Maverick and good luck this PGA season!
Our second stop was Bogota, Columbia. There were a variety of factors that made this week interesting on the golf course. For starters, we were at over 8000 feet of elevation, so the ball flew forever. Fortunately, I finished in a tie for 34th with all four rounds of even par or better. I made 18 birdies during the week and added 19 new donors!
The end of a 6-week leg brought me back to the States! I recorded my career best finish as a professional, finishing in solo second place at -24 at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Even more exciting, I finished off with pledges reading $114,512! This golf course was a Birdies for Education dream, with five reachable par 5s and a driveable par 4, affording prime birdie opportunities every few holes. 