BOURBON, Mo. – Imperial Headwear is thrilled to announce its partnership with national non-profit organizations and renowned artists for its first Tour Visor™ Fundraiser. The auction fundraiser is set to begin on Dec. 9 and run through Dec. 15 on imperialsports.com, with all proceeds benefitting the partner non-profit organizations.
Imperial has teamed up with the American Junior Golf Association, Evans Scholars Foundation, The First Green, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, PGA Reach, Tee It Up for the Troops and Youth on Course for the first Tour Visor™ Fundraiser. A single limited-edition Tour Visor™ was created for consumers and organization supporters to bid on, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the respective non-profit organization.
“The Tour Visor™ Fundraiser was an incredibly rewarding process of bringing together the non-profit organizations we currently support with renowned artists who can help bring their stories to life,” said David Shaffer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Imperial. “These Tour Visors™ are truly one of a kind and the auction winners for each visor will have an artistic piece that gives back to these wonderful organizations.”
Each organization was partnered with an artist to create a single Tour Visor™ that epitomizes the mission, vision and values of the respective organization. A variety of artistic mediums was used, from painting and photography to graphic design. Imperial collaborated with Lee Wybranski, Dave Baysden and Seth McWhorter to bring their visions to life.
“Tee It Up for the Troops is very proud to partner with Imperial Sports on this unique fundraising program,” said Tim Wegscheid, President of Tee It Up for the Troops. “Imperial has consistently ‘stepped up to the tee’ and stood by our side for a number of years as we have collaborated in support of America’s veterans and military families. We were also very honored to work with such an amazing golf artist in Lee Wybranski in developing this collector’s visor. Thanks to Imperial and Lee for teaming up with us for this initiative.”
To bid on the limited-edition pieces in the Tour Visor™ fundraiser, please visit imperialsports.com from Dec. 9-15, 2019. Each Tour Visor™ bid will begin at $250.
About the Organizations
American Junior Golf Association
Artist: Seth McWhorter
The AJGA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.
How funds from the auction will support AJGA initiatives:
The AJGA will use funds from the auction with Imperial to support the ACE Grant. The Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant provides financial assistance to young men and women who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf.
Evans Scholars Foundation
Artist: Dave Baysden
The Evans Scholars Foundation awards full tuition and housing college scholarships to high-achieving caddies with limited financial means. Established in 1930 by the Western Golf Association and celebrated amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., the Foundation oversees the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies. Evans Scholars are enrolled at 18 leading universities nationwide, including 17 where the Foundation operates a Scholarship House.
The First Green
Artist: Lee Wybranski
The First Green is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and environmental outreach program in the United States and Canada that uses golf courses as learning labs. First Green coordinates outdoor STEM field trips at golf courses that allow students to participate in hands-on learning activities that focus on STEM skills. In these outdoor “labs,” students test water quality, collect soil samples, identify plants, conduct math activities and work with local issues – such as stream-bed restoration or counting blue-bird hatchlings. First Green has recently debuted three learning labs in Spanish, extending the reach of this program.
Funds donated to First Green ensure the field trips remain free for students and schools. Grants go towards helping with transportation costs, volunteer training and supplies for the field trips.
First Green was founded in 1997 and is a program of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). It is administered by the Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic arm of GCSAA.
LPGA*USGA Girls Golf
Artist: Dave Baysden
This year marks the 30th year that LPGA-USGA Girls Golf has been in existence and the growth in the last 8 years has been phenomenal as it has developed from a “relatively small” program of 5,000 girls to a large entity serving over 80,000 in 2018. We now have a lofty yet achievable goal of engaging 100,000 girls with the program by the end of 2020. Thanks to the support of Imperial Headwear, we will be able spread the word about Girls Golf and further our mission of empowering and inspiring young girls through the game.
PGA Reach
Artist: Dave Baysden
The Gateway PGA REACH Foundation is “Improving Lives Through the Community of Golf.” By inspiring and directing the resources of our golfing community, we will positively impact the lives of youth, military, and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf.
Our goal is to make the game of golf accessible to youth of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds; Keep at-risk youth in school by helping to enable academic and post-secondary opportunities through programs and initiatives tied to the game of golf; Improve military veterans’ quality of life by enhancing their physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing; Establish a network of diverse talent who are able to ascend to key employment positions in the golf industry; and Demonstrate that the game of golf can impact a community outside the traditional confines of the game.
Tee It Up for the Troops
Artist: Lee Wybranski
Tee It Up for the Troops is a national non-profit organization that inspires communities across the USA to host fundraising golf events and provide support toward these critical areas of need for our military veterans: Golf and Sports Rehabilitation, Suicide Prevention, PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries, Employment, Housing/Homelessness, and Family/Caregiver Support. Since being established in 2005, Tee It Up for the Troops has hosted over 500 events in more than 40 states and has donated over $10 million to assist veterans with transitioning from the battlefront to the home front.
Youth on Course
Artist: Seth McWhorter
Youth on Course provides youth ages 6-18 with access to life-changing opportunities through golf.
By eliminating cost as a barrier to the game, more than 70,000 members have access to play golf for $5 or less at 1,250+ courses across North America. Youth on Course also offers high school employment opportunities through the caddie and internship programs and awards $250,000+ in college scholarships annually. It’s all about access!
About the Artists
Dave Baysden
Dave Baysden is an impressionist artist who uses acrylic and watercolor mediums. My illustration style has always come from a love of comics like Calvin and Hobbes and has been more whimsical in nature, while my graphic designs typically fall in a more modern clean style mostly seen in logos or poster designs.
Dave has had the pleasure of working with Seamus Golf, State Apparel, Sweetens Cove Golf, Zach Blair and The Buck Club, Bandon Dunes, The Golfers Journal, Caddie Magazine, McKellar Magazine, Keeneland and others.
Seth McWhorter
Seth McWhorter is the founder, chairman, and janitor of the one-man graphic design and commercial art studio, McWhorter Creative. Based in Georgia, McWhorter Creative boasts clients from all over the country. As an AJGA-alum, it is an honor to design a piece that benefits an organization dedicated to the growth and development of junior golfers.
Lee Wybranski
Lee Wybranski is one of the premier artists working in golf today and produces the poster artwork annually for the Major Championships. Lee’s original artwork hangs in the homes of major champions and some of the finest clubs in the game, and his posters hang in thousands of homes and offices around the world.
