Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors!

Thank you for building GAME CHANGERS in the Coachella Valley!

Dear Friends and Supporters of First Tee – Coachella Valley,

WHAT A DAY!

On behalf of the entire First Tee – Coachella Valley family, I want to express my deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to every single person who joined us

for the 16th Annual “Play for a Purpose” Golf Tournament at the beautiful Desert Horizons Country Club. You showed up, and because of you, the kids and teens of the Coachella Valley are better for it.

To the members of Desert Horizons Country Club, thank you for opening your stunning facility to our chapter and for making every player feel like a champion from the moment they arrived. Your hospitality and generosity make this event possible, and we are so grateful for your continued partnership.

To our incredible local businesses who stepped up as sponsors and supporters, your investment in this event is an investment in the future of our community. Every dollar you contributed will be put to work changing the lives of young people right here in the Coachella Valley.

To our phenomenal Board of Directors, your passion, your leadership, and your unwavering commitment to this mission inspire me every single day. This chapter would not be what it is without you.

And to every player who teed it up on May 4th, THANK YOU. You chose to spend your day Playing for a Purpose, and that purpose is real, it is urgent, and it is changing lives.

WHY IT MATTERS

Every dollar raised through Play for a Purpose goes directly to supporting the kids and teens of the Coachella Valley through First Tee’s life-changing programming. We currently serve over 1,200 young people annually across three home golf facilities, 33 schools, and more than 10 community centers — reaching communities from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea. Over 66% of our participants are from diverse backgrounds, 40% are female, and 37% come from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities where access to enrichment programs like ours is anything but guaranteed.

Your dollars fund no-cost and low-cost programming, coach salaries, equipment, transportation, and scholarships — ensuring that no child in the Coachella Valley is ever turned away because of an inability to pay. They fund the Jim Kane Scholarship, which has awarded over $75,000 to 13 college-bound scholars. They fund our brand new No Boundaries adaptive golf program for youth with disabilities. And they fund the East Valley expansion that is bringing First Tee into the most underserved communities in the desert for the very first time.

To learn more about our chapter and the impact you are making, please take a moment to watch this short video:

👉 First Tee – Coachella Valley VIDEO!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

🏆 Tournament Champions (-15)

The Chavez/Jessup GMC Foursome (Our fantastic Presenting Sponsors!)

Jason Chavez | Jerry Upham | Dan Jessup | Jonas Udcoff

Congratulations on an incredible round — you played for a purpose and you played it beautifully!

🥈 Second Place (-14)

Landmark Golf Management:

Joe Gill | Alex Phillips | Rich Gigoux | John Essell

An outstanding round from our friends at Landmark Golf — thank you for everything you do for this chapter on and off the course!

😄 The Most Honest Team Award

(aka the team that had the MOST fun!)

Beatrice Padilla | Troy Strange | Eileen Eske | Carla Adamic

Thank you for bringing the joy, the laughter, and the incredible spirit that makes Play for a Purpose so special. Every great tournament needs a team like yours! 🎉

🏌️ Men’s Long Drive

       Lee Block (Way to go!!)

📍 Men’s Closest to the Pin

      Craig Taylor — 4’5″ — (Wow!)

🏌️‍♀️ Women’s Longest Drives

      Suzi Merz & Alex Phillips (Girl Power!)

📍 Closest to the Pin for the LONG PUTT

      Jason Chavez — 2’9″ — (Super Job!)

Winners:  If you do not see me on a regular basis, I will mail out your gift cards, please email me an address to mail them to 🙂

The “Play for a Purpose” event was more than a golf tournament. It was a community coming together around something that matters deeply, the belief that every child in the Coachella Valley deserves a chance to discover what they are capable of. Thank you for being part of that dream!

With all my love and gratitude,

Teal Thron

Chief Executive Officer

First Tee – Coachella Valley

A program of the Desert Recreation District

[email protected]

Non-Profit Tax ID: 84-2546551

 

 

 

 

For more information please contact CEO Teal: [email protected] or call 760.834.6790 ext. 202

Coachella Valley Youth Golf Foundation Tax I.D. # 84-2546551