CALGARY—The Shaw Charity Classic is preparing for a safe return of golf’s greatest names on the PGA TOUR Champions to Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, August 11-15, 2021, in an effort to make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of children across more than 230 youth-based charities in Alberta.
After taking a one-year pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tournament staff have begun working with all levels of government, along with the PGA TOUR Champions and its players to make plans for a safe return of the Shaw Charity Classic in 2021.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be back on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule this year in August, and are thankful to all of our corporate partners for sticking with us during these unprecedented times as we develop a plan to safely welcome golf’s best back to Calgary,” said Sean Van Kesteren, executive director, Shaw Charity Classic, who added the tournament annually generates a direct economic impact of $33.1 million to the City of Calgary.
“Ultimately, we are excited to bring back one of Calgary’s signature summer events and generate some energy, excitement and community spirit throughout the city.”
Van Kesteren and his team are hopeful the 2021 edition of the Shaw Charity Classic will be able to have some level of fan participation, and are prepared to modify the structure of the event in order to continue following provincial health and safety guidelines.
“The safety of our community is, and always will be, the top priority. We remain committed to building a modified version of our traditional Tournament week activities while continuing to work with the City of Calgary, Alberta Health Services and the Government of Canada to host this award-winning event,” added Van Kesteren.
Plans for this year’s tournament week include hosting Blakes Women’s Day, August 9, and the RBC Championship Pro-Am, August 11-12, followed by three rounds of tournament play to determine the winner of 2021 Shaw Charity Classic from August 13-15.
Tournament officials have also reinforced their unwavering commitment to ensuring the community spirit of the Shaw Charity Classic continues in 2021 by confirming it will support 233 youth-based charities this year through its Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program.
Despite being forced to cancel the 2020 edition of the event due to COVID-19 restrictions, the charitable arm of the tournament continued and successfully raised more than $12.5 million to bring the tournament’s eight-year charitable contribution to $61.1 million.
“Charity has always been at the heart of the Shaw Charity Classic, and it is now moreso than ever given the challenging times our communities are facing,” added Van Kesteren. “We are incredibly grateful for the generous contributions this event has received to make a positive impact on the hundreds of thousands of youth across Alberta who rely on charitable organizations for support in areas such as food, healthcare, mental wellness, art, literacy, sport and so much more – especially in this time of crisis. But we also know the work can’t stop now. Working with Shaw, AltaLink and our other corporate partners, the Patron Group and Canadians who have rallied together to support the charities through this much-needed fundraising platform, we are committed to building on the tournament’s legacy of giving this summer, and in the future.”