On the Road Again - Connecting Kids and Culture Makes Out of the Classroom Learning Possible
November 12, 2007 (Des Moines, Iowa) — More than 39,000 students will have the opportunity to travel outside the classroom for learning, thanks to the new initiative "Connecting Kids and Culture," funded largely by proceeds of The Principal Charity Classic, the annual Champions Tour event played in Des Moines presented by Wells Fargo. During a special event held today at the Science Center of Iowa, the Principal Financial Group® and Wells Fargo also announced continued commitment of title and presenting sponsor (respectively) of The Principal Charity Classic through 2010, along with enhancements expected for the 2008 tournament.
Connecting Kids and Culture
Connecting Kids and Culture will fill a void created by dwindling public funding for transportation to educational experiences outside the classroom. The program will make available transportation funds for every student in Polk and Dallas Counties, grades Kindergarten through fifth. Connecting Kids and Culture will directly align community-based arts and cultural learning to core curriculum objectives and provide opportunities for educators to bring local arts and cultural experiences into their schools.
"Educators have told us that bus money can be a deal-breaker in getting kids out of the classroom for local arts and cultural experiences," said Johnny Danos, president of the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation. "Thanks to the success and generosity of The Principal Charity Classic, we can get students on the road again."
Connecting Kids and Culture is made possible by contributions from The Principal Charity Classic to the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation and Bravo Greater Des Moines (Bravo). Financial support is also provided through a grant by the Kenneth P. & Helen I. MacDonald Fund through the Community Foundation.
"Connecting Kids and Culture is an example of what can happen when the community gets behind a great charitable event like The Principal Charity Classic," said J. Barry Griswell, chairman and CEO of the Principal Financial Group, the title sponsor of the event. "We are so pleased with last year's tournament, and look forward to greater success in 2008 - including raising more 'FORE Our Kids.'"
Connecting Kids and Culture program funding will be first available January 2008. In February, fourteen organizations - Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines Art Center, Science Center of Iowa, Iowa Hall of Pride, Des Moines Metro Opera, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, Living History Farms, Des Moines Botanical Center, State Historical Society, Des Moines Playhouse, Metro Arts Alliance, Terrace Hill Foundation, Des Moines Symphony and Salisbury House Foundation. Formal curriculum alignments will be posted on the Connecting Kids and Culture website, www.kidsandculture.org. Transportation or in-classroom funding can be used with a large and varied number of arts and cultural institutions and individual artists, beyond the original list of fourteen.
The focus of The Principal Charity Classic is on charity, and is designed "FORE Our Kids." The 2007 Champions Tour tournament raised $575,000. Five local charities received $110,000 each - Blank Children's Hospital, Bravo, Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, United Way of Central Iowa and Variety - The Children's Charity. Another $25,000 raised benefits a number of charity partners that provided on-site services during the event.
Enhancements Announced for '08 Principal Charity Classic
Spectators, volunteers, sponsors and players of The Principal Charity Classic will see a number of enhancements in 2008, continuing the mission of making the event more than just a golf tournament.
Planned enhancements include trolley transportation from the main entrance to the clubhouse at Glen Oaks Country Club, the location of the event. A golf clinic tailored for women and an "autograph lane" will be added, allowing fans to be more involved in the golf action. A "Birdies for Charity" program will be launched to increase fundraising opportunities. Additional pre-tournament concert and ongoing community entertainment throughout the week will be available, due to the overwhelming popularity of such events during the 2007 tournament.
"The Principal Charity Classic is truly a collaborative effort, with the largest involvement received from the community and the many sponsors. The success of last year's tournament - including the participation and funds raised 'FORE Our Kids', gives us great momentum for next year and many to come," said Lynn Horak, regional chairman of Wells Fargo.
"The Principal Financial Group has done an outstanding job of working closely with the community to cultivate this successful event," said Rick George, president of the Champions Tour. "We are proud to continue our relationship with both the Principal Financial Group and Wells Fargo in bringing professional golf to Greater Des Moines in support of 'Connecting Kids and Culture' and other charitable initiatives."
About the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation
The Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, host charity for The Principal Charity Classic, is a donor-driven public foundation whose purpose is to improve the quality of life in Greater Des Moines through philanthropy. The Community Foundation currently manages assets in excess of $177 million, administers more than 470 charitable funds created by Iowans, and distributed more than $20 million in grants in 2006. Visit desmoinesfoundation.org or call 515-883-2626 to learn more.
About Bravo Greater Des Moines
Bravo Greater Des Moines (Bravo) is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the metro area's arts and cultural community as a key element of a world-class quality of life. Bravo provides a collaborative focus to nurture and grow the arts by increasing funding through public and private sources. In 2007, Bravo granted more than $2 million to local arts and cultural organizations. Altoona, Ankeny, Clive, Des Moines, Johnston, Polk County, Urbandale, Windsor Heights and West Des Moines share a portion of their hotel/motel tax proceeds to support Bravo.
About The Principal Charity Classic
The Principal Charity Classic is an annual Champions Tour event at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines. The Principal Charity Classic, presented by Wells Fargo, is hosted by the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation and is focused on philanthropic giving for designated "FORE Our Kids." The 2008 tournament will be held May 26-June 1. For more information, visit www.principalcharityclassic.com.
About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)1 is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies and national network of financial professionals. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $282.1 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 18.1 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
1) "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.
2) As of September 30, 2007.
