NB3 Foundation

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WORLD’S BEST GOLFERS HIT THE LINKS FOR THE NOTAH BEGAY III FOUNDATION CHALLENGE

Top names in men’s and women’s golf chipping in to help Begay, Oneida Indian Nation
fight against obesity and promote youth sports and wellness within Native American communities


Verona, N.Y. – (July 14, 2011) – Notah Begay III, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, today announced the new tournament date and final player field for the fourth annual Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation Challenge. The elite group will tee it up on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at Turning Stone Resort’s Atunyote Golf Club on Oneida Indian Nation lands near Verona, N.Y. PGA TOUR stars Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan will join Begay and top LPGA golfers Annika Sorenstam, Cristie Kerr, Suzann Pettersen and Natalie Gulbis in an effort to raise awareness and funding for the improved health and wellness of Native American youth on Indian reservations nationwide.

The tournament had previously been scheduled to take place on July 5, but was moved to ensure the strongest possible field for the event.

"I'm excited and very appreciative to have these incredible golfers involved with this year's event," said Begay. "Having instantly recognized names like Tiger (Woods) and Annika (Sorenstam), as well as some of the sport's established and rising stars, draws a great deal of positive attention to the Foundation's mission of empowering Native youth to sustain active, healthy and productive lives."

“Notah’s Foundation does wonderful things for Native American youth, and I’m happy to be a part of that mission,” said Sorenstam. “The great work his Foundation does aligns closely with my efforts to fight childhood obesity. It’s a cause we can all get behind, and one I’m excited to continue supporting by playing in the NB3 Foundation Challenge.”

All proceeds from the tournament go directly to benefit the Notah Begay III Foundation. A strong and ever-growing partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation and the support of the professional golfers who have participated helped the event raise more than $2.4 million to support the foundation’s mission during its first three years.

As in the past, this year's event is built on the strong partnership between Begay and the Oneida Indian Nation and stands as an example of what Native groups can accomplish through shared efforts and resources aimed at addressing important issues in Native American communities. Indian Nations, like Oneida, have made extraordinary progress in recent years to build promising futures for their youth and communities, and this event exemplifies that progress.  The host site for the NB3 Foundation Challenge, Turning Stone Resort Casino, is an economic enterprise of the Oneida Indian Nation.

“The Oneida Indian Nation and Turning Stone Resort are honored to again host the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at the Atunyote Golf Club,” said Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises. “We’re proud to partner with Notah to support his efforts to improve the lives of American Indian youth. We share his vision to empower our young people, and his ability to involve the world’s finest golfers in this outstanding event has made a considerable impact in raising awareness around one of the most pressing health concerns confronting Indian Country and our society at large today - childhood obesity and diabetes.”

The Notah Begay III Foundation was founded in 2005 by Begay, the only full-blooded Native American on the PGA TOUR. In an effort to make a difference in the lives of Native American youth, the Foundation took on the mission to reduce the incidences of childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and promote the leadership development of Native American youth. Driven by Native staff, the Foundation is committed to developing sustainable and evidence-based sports, health, wellness and leadership development programming that can be replicated throughout Indian Country. 

For the second straight year, the NB3 Foundation Challenge event will feature PGA and LPGA TOUR players in a mixed team, best ball format with a total purse of $275,000. Woods, a long-time friend and former college teammate of Begay’s, is a golf legend. He owns 14 professional golf major championships, the second-highest total in the history of the men’s game, and his 71 PGA TOUR victories ranks third all-time. Two years ago, Woods grabbed nine skins to outshoot a world-class field and captured the NB3 Foundation Challenge title. Fowler, who is part Navajo, is the reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year and finished second in last year’s NB3 Foundation Challenge. Fowler has three runner-up and 11 top-10 finishes in his brief, but exceptional, professional career. Mahan, currently ranked among the top 20 in the world, has looked strong this season after a career-best campaign in 2010 that featured a pair of wins. Mahan is one-half of the defending NB3 Foundation Challenge championship team.

The other half of that team is Cristie Kerr, who returns to defend her title this year. In addition to her NB3 Foundation Challenge victory, Kerr owns 14 career professional wins, including two major tournament titles. Joining Kerr in the field for the second consecutive year is Annika Sorenstam, perhaps the greatest women’s golfer of all-time. Sorenstam won 10 major championships and accumulated career earnings of more than $22.5 million during her 15 years as a pro. Pettersen, who also is returning for a second straight year, is a seven-time LPGA winner, including the 2007 LPGA Championship. The lone newcomer among the women is Natalie Gulbis, a long-time pro and winner of the 2007 Evian Masters. Although Gulbis will be making her first appearance in this event, it will be a return visit to Atunyote where she played in The Turning Stone Invitational in 2005 alongside golfing legend Arnold Palmer.

Tickets to the event are on sale now, and may be purchased by contacting the Turning Stone Box Office at 315-361-SHOW (7469) or visiting the Box Office, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ticketholders who purchased tickets for the originally scheduled date of the NB3 Foundation Challenge can keep their tickets for use on the new date – tickets can be exchanged on the day of the event at the Turning Stone Box Office. Tickets on hold at Will Call will automatically be exchanged for the new event date. NB3 Foundation Challenge tickets are priced at $50 for adults. Youth admission for 16 and under is provided complimentary with purchase of an adult ticket (must be requested at time of original purchase). Active Military receive a 50 percent discount upon presentation of a valid military I.D. Overnight packages are also available by calling 1-800-771-7711.

For more information about the NB3 Foundation Challenge, visit: www.nb3challenge.com.

Key Background

About Notah Begay III Foundation

In 2005, Notah Begay III established the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Notah established the Foundation to address the profound health and wellness issues impacting Native American youth and to empower those youth and help them realize their potential as tomorrow’s leaders. The mission of the Foundation is to reduce the incidences of obesity and diabetes and advance the lives of Native American youth through sports and wellness programming. To this end, the mission the Foundation supports is the development of sustainable, evidence-based and innovative soccer and golf programs designed by Native Americans for Native American youth that promote physical fitness, wellness and leadership development.

For more information on Notah Begay III and the Foundation, visit: www.nb3foundation.com.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino

A premier four-season, destination resort, the Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone Resort Casino is conveniently located about 30 miles east of Syracuse at NYS Thruway exit 33.  Turning Stone was named “Most Excellent Golf Resort” in 2010 by Condé Nast Johansens. The Academy of Country Music named Turning Stone “Casino of the Year” in 2009.  The resort offers world class gaming, golf, entertainment, accommodations and spa facilities and has earned AAA Four Diamond ratings for The Lodge, The Tower Hotel and Wildflowers restaurant. Turning Stone's entertainment and meeting venues include the 5,000-seat Event Center, the 800-seat Showroom, LAVA-Dance Club and the Conference Center.

For more information and reservations, call (315) 361-7711 or 1-(800) 771-7711. Visit the websites at TurningStone.com and OneidaIndianNation.com

 About the Oneida Indian Nation

The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized Indian nation in Central New York. A founding member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (also known as the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy), the Oneida Indian Nation sided with the Americans in the Revolutionary War and was thanked by Congress and President George Washington for its loyalty and assistance. Today, the Oneida Nation consists of about 1,000 enrolled Members, most of them living in Central New York. The Nation’s enterprises, which employ 4,500 people, include Turning Stone Resort Casino, the SāvOn chain of gas stations and convenience stores, RV Park, three marinas, Indian Country Today Media Network – the premier national multi-media source for American Indian news and information, and Four Directions Productions - a 3D animation HD cinematography studio. Proceeds from these enterprises are used to rebuild the Nation’s economic base and provide essential services, including housing, health care, and education incentives and programs, to its Members.

For more information, visit the Nation’s website www.OneidaIndianNation.com and the official blog www.WovenNotesblog.com.

 

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