The date for the highly anticipated Phoenix Challenge Foundation (PCF) fundraiser golf tournament has been set for Wednesday, Aug. 24. Participants will get to play at the beautiful Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe, N.C., located near Charlotte.
The Phoenix Challenge Foundation Golf Tournament is the principal fundraiser for the foundation which supports graphic arts and flexography. This fundraising effort is specifically designed to support graphic arts students in their pursuit of higher education through program competitions and scholarships, and in turn provide an experienced employment base for the future of printing.
Howard Vreeland Jr. of Anderson & Vreeland Inc., a long-time supporter of PCF, said, “My father always believed that you needed to give back to the industry that you did business with. We could not think of a better way to do that than to support high school and college students with an interest in flexography.”
Colleen Larkin Twomey, an associate professor at Cal Poly State University, added, “The PCF has done a great job with promoting flexo at the high school and college levels. The annual competition is a great opportunity for students to really be creative with solutions to a prompt by means of flexographic printing.”
The foundation is seeking support through team sign-ups and a range of exclusive sponsorships: Platinum, Gold and Silver levels, single hole sponsorships and several other categories are available.
Major event sponsors return every year, renewing their commitment to providing scholarships and building a strong workforce for tomorrow. One hundred percent of all proceeds go directly to supporting flexography throughout college, vocational and high school scholarship competitions and programs.
Students involved in the foundation have been able to find career opportunities with companies like J.R. Cole Industries Inc. after graduation.
“We had a PCF college student from ASU that we brought in for a summer internship six years ago,” said Pam Robinson from J.R. Cole. “We hired him upon graduation and he worked as a production supervisor for several years, then special projects analyst, and now he’s been promoted as our compliance officer. A true testament to the program!”
Converters, printers, prepress trade houses, flexo suppliers; anyone interested in supporting tomorrow’s flexo professionals are encouraged to participate in the tournament. More than 80 golfers are expected, making it a relaxed and fun-filled industry-wide networking event.
Robinson added, “Converters must support education in our industry. It’s the way we strengthen ourselves and the industry as a whole.”
The Phoenix Challenge Foundation exists solely through generous donations made by industry supporters, businesses and individuals. The primary purpose is building awareness and education of flexography throughout North America. Businesses and organizations participating as sponsors will have access to a variety of options that in-turn deliver a variety of marketing and brand awareness.