Thank You From The McGladrey Classic

Today’s update is from Chris Parrish, a supervisor in consulting services with McGladrey, based out of the firm’s Vienna, VA office. Chris was the national leader for the firm's Birdies Fore Love initiative. As a result, he was given an opportunity to attend this year’s McGladrey Classic. Below is a message from Chris about his experience at the 2013 McGladrey Classic.

 The 2013 McGladrey Classic was an extraordinary event that culminated in a final round shootout between Chris Kirk and Briny Baird, with Kirk ending as the victor after sinking a six-foot par putt. My girlfriend Jamie and I were impressed by every detail of the weekend, and found ourselves saying thank-you on almost a minute-by-minute basis. We soon realized that this tournament, among other things, is really a platform to give and also give thanks in so many ways.

 Most obviously, the champion Chris Kirk was very thankful for McGladrey's title sponsorship of the tournament. For his win, Kirk took home a $990,000 purse and, with his second child on the way, there's little doubt where the majority of his winnings will go.

 The Cloister, Lodge and the entire Sea Island community was thanked by nearly every patron that passed through the tournament. Their class, generosity, and Southern hospitality created a special atmosphere that permeated the event.

 Then there were the volunteers, more than 1,200 of them. Team McGladrey Member Davis Love III took several moments throughout the festivities on Sunday to publicly thank these volunteers. Without these folks manning the food booths, question kiosks, and lining the fairways to ensure the sometimes raucous crowd was quiet as players were standing over their balls, the tournament could have never been executed at such a flawless level. Additionally, because the Davis Love Foundation (DLF) relied on these volunteers instead of hiring additional employees, the DLF was able to maximize the amount of money given to charity. (The amount raised through this year's McGladrey Classic is still being calculated.)

 

 As a firm, The McGladrey Classic allows us to say thank-you to some of our top clients and potential clients. Every attendee I spoke with was blown away by the facilities, the service and the tournament atmosphere.

 In keeping with the tradition of giving thanks, I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every one of the McGladrey employees and clients who supported our firm's Birdies Fore Love program this year. Collectively, we raised an estimated $430,000 for children and family-based charities across the U.S. If you pledged or donated, know that your generosity will help enhance innumerable lives in our local communities - and that gift doesn't last a weekend, it lasts a lifetime.