EAST MOLINE, Ill. — With just 195 days until the 2022 John Deere Classic golf tournament, the organization announced on Monday, Dec. 13 that it raised about $12.6 million during its 2021 Birdies for Charity program.
Since its founding in 1971, the tournament said it has raised almost $145.7 million for the community. This year's multimillion-dollar total, the third-largest in the tournament's history, was split among 470 Quad Cities non-profits, with 8% of each donation matched.
The $12.6 million total works out to about $33.50 for each of the Quad Cities’ residents, according to the tournament.
“We thank our fans, local family foundations and corporate partners … for their ongoing generosity and support,” John Deere Classic Executive Chair Clair Peterson said in Monday's announcement. “Whether our participating charities are large well-known community institutions or very small groups, all are worthy of our support.”
Last year's golf tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the fundraiser still raised $12.2 million dollars with 5% of donations matched - the tournament's fourth-largest total.
Sing-ups to receive a portion of the funds raised by next year's tournament are open until May 14. Register your organization here.
To donate to Birdies for Charity, click here. At least 5% of your contribution will be matched for the charity of your choice. Each donation allows the donor to guess the number of birdies in the 2022 tournament, and the donor who guesses the exact number will win a 2-year lease on a Lexus RX350.
The 2021 winners of a two-year Lexus NX300 lease were tom and Melinda Doyle of Bettendorf, who guessed 1,906 birdies. They were just one higher than the actual number - 1,905.
WQAD is proud to be the official station for all things John Deere Classic. Tune into News 8 and follow along on wqad.com June 27 through July 3 for exclusive coverage of the 2022 tournament.