Return of full crowds means more charity donations from the RBC Heritage

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WTOC) - The RBC Heritage has become a part of the fabric of Hilton Head Island over the past 54 years. It has become not only a vital part of the island’s economy, but also a major contributor to Lowcountry charities.

That’s one of the reasons the Heritage Classic Foundation is so excited to be back to full capacity as it means they can get back to normal in terms of their contributions.

The foundation has two matching donation programs - including the Birdies for Charity program which works like a walkathon.

Donors pledge a certain amount per birdie this week and the foundation matches a percentage of that. Since 2000, that program has raised more than $6 million.

The matching programs were halted in 2020, and they were only able to match 10 percent a year ago due to capped attendance. But this year, they’re back to matching their traditional 15 percent and the foundation says they’re hoping to see some red numbers on the scorecard to help.

“It’s a major deal. We hope to blow those numbers out of the park. So, we’re looking for a really great return. We have full capacity. We are sold out. We actually have money to give back to the community,” Heritage Classic Foundation, Director of Foundation Initiatives Alexis Romero-Grove said.

In 2019, there were 1,354 birdies made during the week. They’re hoping to see more than that this year.

Friday wasn’t the best scoring day as the wind was up, though still two days more to play, two more days to score, and two more days to give.

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