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LOWELL, ARK. (September 19, 2014)– Calli Heriaud from The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas (TFTNWA) has been selected to attend Auntie Anne’s Leaders & Entrepreneurs Forum in Orlando, Fla. Oct. 16-19. Heriaud will join 50 participants of The First Tee, ages 13-17, to participate in this national event.

The three-day forum, held at the Walt Disney World Resort, will introduce participants to interactive sessions covering career development and community leadership from executives and franchise partners of Auntie Anne’s – the world’s largest hand-rolled and freshly-baked soft pretzel chain. They will also learn about the franchising business model and what it is like to own and operate an Auntie Anne’s store.

“Auntie Anne’s is proud to partner with The First Tee to sponsor this year’s Leaders & Entrepreneurs Forum,” said Bill Dunn, President and COO, Auntie Anne’s. “We are excited for the 50 participants who were selected, and look forward to hosting them in October as they learn more about career development and community leadership.  We consider it an honor to play a small role in developing and influencing the next generation of leaders.”

Heriaud, 18, is a homeschooled senior in Bella Vista and has been active at TFTNWA since 2007. Her other interests include playing and teaching piano as well as photography. She is involved with her church’s youth group, where she volunteers for children’s programs. Heriaud works at a local pharmacy and loves to be in the presence of family and friends.

“I submitted my application because I felt it would be a great opportunity to learn what it means to be an entrepreneur,” explains Heriaud. “I am very excited and look forward to learn about being a leader in my community. I am incredibly blessed by every opportunity The First Tee has provided to me. I am so excited to be selected to attend this year’s Auntie Anne’s Leaders and Entrepreneurs Forum.

“Calli is a wonderful role model for our younger girl participants,” said TFTNWA director of outreach, Elizabeth Prenger. “She set a high goal for herself and displayed confidence and perseverance in order to obtain her goal. We are so proud of her and I know she will represent our chapter very well in Orlando and beyond.”

For more information about The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, visit www.thefirstteeNWAr.org. To request an interview with Heriaud, call (479) 419-5807.

LOCAL NONPROFIT HOSTS FREE COMMUNITY WIDE TRICK-OR-TREAT EVENT

Rogers, Ark. (October 27, 2014)– On Saturday, November 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas will turn the Heritage High School Indoor Training Facility into a giant putt-putt course, with a goal of providing a free and safe Halloween event for families throughout Northwest Arkansas. The course will be made up of 23 themed putting holes, each sponsored by local, regional and national businesses. First Tee is expecting 1,000 people to attend, based off of last year’s numbers.

“We love being a part of this event because it provides a sense of community and celebration,” says Robert Rivera, Director of Sales at The Coca-Cola Company. “The families that attend know that The First Tee is a trustworthy organization and they feel safe in bringing their children here for a fun, candy-filled experience.”

The sponsoring companies will decorate their hole with a theme of their choice, bring their volunteers to assist the kids going through the course and, of course, hand out lots of treats.

“This is a great way to provide our organization’s supporters with an additional opportunity to give back to the community,” says director of outreach, Elizabeth Prenger. “Everyone involved in this event has a wonderful time and it cannot be possible without our amazing sponsors and volunteers.”

The 2014 First Tee Trick-or-Treat Open hole sponsors are: Coca-Cola, presenting sponsor; Arkansas Alumni Association; Cox Cable; Creative Awards/MoxyOx; Friendship Community Care; General Mills; Heinz; Heritage High School Golf Team; Kendrick Fincher Hydration; McDonalds; Northwest Arkansas Naturals; NWA Tobacco and Drug Free Coalition; Riders United 4 Children; Roblee Orthodontics; Rogers High School Golf Team; Rogers Fire Department; Rogers Police Department; SimpleX Payroll; Store of the Community; Tyson Foods; University of Arkansas Women’s Golf Team; and Walmart.

For more information on The First Tee, please visit www.TheFirstTeeNWAr.org.

The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas Wins Golf To Paradise—First Tee Champions Challenge; Advance to ACE Group Classic Official Pro-Am

 

ROGERS, Ark. (February 10, 2015) – Hanna Brauburger and Wade Schaller, two Benton County student-athletes and participants at The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, have qualified to play in the ACE Group Classic Official Pro-Am, paired with Champions Tour Professional Sonny Skinner. Brauburger and Schaller beat six First Tee chapters from around the country in the Golf To Paradise- First Tee Champions Playoff and Golf To Paradise- First Tee Champions Challenge before advancing to the Pro-Am.

The ACE Group Classic will be hosted at TwinEagles Golf Club on February 9-15. This Champions Tour event has been held since 1988, and will feature 81 of the world’s best players battling for a $1.6 million purse.

“This will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two promising golfers to compete for a chance to play with Champions Tour players,” said Mike Shea, Executive Director of The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas. “Our players are certainly looking forward to flying south to Naples, especially at this time of the year. We appreciate the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB for creating this opportunity for our golfers to expand their experience in the game of golf and to play on a world-class stage.”

Sonny Skinner is an American golfer who joined the Champions Tour in 2010 once he turned 50. His professional wins include the 1993 NIKE Shreveport Open, 1994 NIKE Dominion Open, 2009 Georgia PGA Championship and 2012 Georgia PGA Championship. Skinner was named the PGA Professional of the Year in 2008 and the Senior PGA Professional of the Year in 2010, becoming the first person to win both awards. He is a PGA teaching professional at the River Pointe Golf Club in Albany, Georgia.

CONTACT:

Elizabeth Prenger, Director of Outreach, The First Tee NWA 479) 419-5807 or [email protected]

About The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas TFTNWA is dedicated to impacting the lives of all the youth in Northwest Arkansas by providing learning facilities and educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

Local Business Sponsors Unique Learning Opportunity for Bentonville Elementary School

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (Thursday, April 16, 2015) – Best Collision, Inc. is sponsoring an educational experience, unlike any other, for a local Bentonville elementary school. The 140 fourth graders at Cooper Elementary will visit The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas’s (TFTNWA) Learning Center in Lowell for a day of learning classroom lessons out on the golf course.

“The First Tee has personally influenced my family, especially my sons, who learned strong values and good manners from The First Tee coaches” says Best Collision owner, Kevin Morey. “Children need a safe place to go after school and The First Tee provides that for our community. Parents should know that this program, and the game of golf, provides such a positive impact on their kids. That is why we wanted to get involved and sponsor the Field Day experience for Cooper Elementary.”

With the help of fourth grade teachers, TFTNWA developed a Field Day Curriculum which provides the students with a State Standards-based day of hands on educational benefits in math, science, life skills, and physical activity, all through the game of golf. Students at the Field Days visit three stations: the driving range, where they experience the full golf swing and how to gauge distance; the short game center for an introduction to chipping along with an explanation of club loft angles; and the putting green, where they see the effect that a shorter club and less force have on how far ball will travel.

The First Tee Field Day is designed for up to 150 students per school and over 1,800 fourth and fifth grade students will visit The First Tee Learning Center between April and June. Best Collision’s sponsorship covers the cost for Cooper’s bus transportation, lunch for students and teachers, facility fees and coaching staff.

“I am so excited that Best Collision is investing in The First Tee Field Day Program, which is one of my favorite programs to be involved in at our chapter,” says Elizabeth Prenger, director of outreach for TFTNWA. “The kids get so much out of this field trip and we receive overwhelming positive feedback not just from the students, but also the teachers and parents.”

About The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas TFTNWA is dedicated to impacting the lives of all the youth in Northwest Arkansas by providing learning facilities and educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

 

CONTACT:

Elizabeth Prenger, Director of Outreach, The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas

(479) 419-5807 or [email protected]