Birdies for Charity Announces 2012 Results

A good year for the John Deere Classic means a good year for charities in the Quad Cities. Today officials of last summer's golf tournement handed out the proceeds from the Birdies for Charity program.
Each year, people and businesses pledge money for each birdie shot by the pro golfers in the tournement to their favorite charity, and then Deere and Company adds a bonus.
Volunteer chairman Todd Raufeisen says this year that adds up to nearly 6.8 million dollars, about 1.5 million dollars more than last year.
Raufeisen says about 20,000 people signed up this year for Birdies for Charity, and made pledges to 493 charities. And this morning they each received one check for the pledges to their organizations, and one check equal to an eight per cent bonus, from Deere and Company, title sponsor of the annual golf tournement.
Beneficiaries range from the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities, to the Illinois Retired Teachers Association, Ballet Quad Cities, and WVIK.