SYLVANIA, Ohio — The Dana Open is so much more than just a golf tournament.
Since its start in 1984 as the Jamie Farr Classic, the tournament has been all about service to our community. Each year, proceeds are donated to local children's charities.
If anyone can say that they were with the Dana Open since the very beginning, It's Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Ohio.
"When the tournament first started in 1984, Don Michael, who was a McDonald's owner and operator and a friend of Jamie Farr's, they had a meeting in our boardroom and decided to help bring the tournament to Toledo," said Chad Bingman, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Ohio.
Because of that influence and the measurable impact it has brought to Toledo, it has been the charity of choice every year at the Dana Open ever since. Ronald McDonald House uses the profits to offer families a place to stay while their children are receiving treatment at local hospitals.
"As long as they're here, they don't have to worry about where they're going to eat, where they're going to sleep. That's all being taken care of by generous donors and the tournament helps us do that," Bingman said.
From just a few days to 19 months, the Ronald McDonald House has been able to ease the stays for hundreds of families and an estimated $1.5 million of the funding needed has come from the Dana Open.
But it's just one of the 16 area charities the tournament has teamed up with for 2023.
Also joining the Ronald McDonald House are Heritage Sylvania, The Children's Hunger Alliance, Greater Toledo Community Foundation, The JPO Foundation, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Rally Cap Sports, Sunshine Communities, The Ability Center, Family House, Under One Roof, the YWCA and this year's newest addition, The Toledo Elementary Athletics Movement or "TEAM."
TEAM offers affordable options so every kid can play a sport, even if it's not available at their school.
"When there are no sports at a school, it's up to the parents to form teams and join a league somewhere, and most parents don't have the time for that or the ability to do that," TEAM communications director April Rumschlag said.
So that's where TEAM comes in.
TEAM connects kids with basketball, baseball, softball and soccer, and has partnerships for golf and tennis all at the cost of $40 a sport. All of the gear and uniforms are covered through partners like the Dana Open.
But it's not without a little help from the attendees.
"One of the ways it helps us is if someone goes to purchase grounds tickets or clubhouse tickets, they can designate TEAM as the charity of their choice and we'll get 100% of the sales of those ticket prices," Rumschlag said.
If you want to support any of these charities, just come out to the Dana Open and buy a ticket.
The tournament runs through Sunday, so you'll have an opportunity to help all through the week.