While about 150 golfers tee off this week at the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run, nearly 500 Quad Cities charities will vie for dollars from the community.
Birdies for Charity started as a way for donors to pledge cents for birdies.
"So one cent, for example, per the number of birdies scored at the John Deere week, which is roughly in the ballpark of about 2,000, every penny pledge would be about $20," says director Kristy Ketcham-Jackson.
People can still donate that way, but now about 80 percent of donors give a flat amount of money.
Charities receive 100 percent of the donations. Plus, John Deere will give organizations a 5-10 percent bonus based on tournament revenue and donations.
And donors have the chance to win prizes. The donor who correctly guesses the amount of birdies in the tournament will win a free two-year lease on a 2016 Lexus NX. Drawings will determine the winners of other prizes, from tickets to next year's tournament to a John Deere riding mower.
"It's fun to talk about prizes, but I always remind people the real winners are the charities," Ketcham-Jackson says. "The charities are the ones that are going to get every penny that their supporters want to give to them."
People can make pledges through Friday. Last year, Birdies for Charity generated $8.7 million for participating charities.