9 Grand Strand Charities to Benefit from 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic; $225,000 to be Allocated

Nine local social service charities have been selected to receive a grant from revenue generated by the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, scheduled May 6-12 at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, meaning the event will not only showcase the Grand Strand but also benefit the area. A total of $225,000 will be allocated for 2024.

“The charities selected are all doing impactful and meaningful work, and we are proud to provide assistance to further promote these programs that are making such a huge difference on the Grand Strand,” said Darren Nelson, tournament director. “The PGA TOUR has a time-honored tradition of supporting charities and giving back to each community where events are hosted.”

Tournaments under the PGA TOUR umbrella donate their net proceeds each year to support local philanthropic organizations, totaling close to $4 billion to date, which is more than all other major sports leagues combined.

“We are extremely grateful,” said Barb Mains, who founded the Help 4 Kids charity in 1989 and has been leading the organization for 35 years. “Oh Lord, that money will go a long way. It will help us feed the kids for two months. Our kids won’t have to go home from school for the weekends without food.”

A fully volunteer organization where 100 percent of every donation goes to the charity, Help 4 Kids currently delivers food to 40 Horry County schools and feeds more than 3,000 children each week. Teachers discreetly place food sacks into the students’ backpacks on Friday afternoon so they have something to eat on the weekend. In addition, Help 4 Kids provides school supplies, blankets, clothing and coats. 

Additional charities selected are Blue Star Mothers of Coastal Carolina, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand, Champion Autism Network, Children’s Recovery Center, Classy Smiles, Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach, Project Golf, and SOS Care. All of the benefitting charities have 501c3 status, meaning they are non-profit, tax-exempt groups with a dedicated mission.

“This is a game-changer for us,” said Becky Large, executive director of Champion Autism Network, a program that helps to create judgment-free experiences for people living with autism. “We support more than 900 families in Horry and Georgetown counties who have someone on the autism spectrum. We can use these funds to create awareness and serve even more people.”

The Myrtle Beach Classic is a dual-field PGA TOUR event sponsored by Visit Myrtle Beach and managed by Sportfive, a global event management company. The local event will be one of two stops in the Palmetto State for the PGA TOUR in 2024, joining with the RBC Heritage in April at Harbour Town Golf Links.

A Robert Trent Jones-designed course, The Dunes Club was incorporated in 1948. It was host to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on PGA TOUR Champions from 1994 to 1999, with notables Raymond Floyd, Jim Colbert, Jay Sigel, Gil Morgan, Hale Irwin and Gary McCord claiming titles. Twenty-one years earlier, The Dunes Club was the site of PGA TOUR Q-School Finals in 1973, with Ben Crenshaw taking medalist honors.

The Myrtle Beach Classic, a dual-field PGA TOUR event hosting 120 players, takes place May 9-12, 2024, at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C., commonly known as “The Golf Capital of the World.” Daily and weekly general admission tickets, and Club 18 Shared Hospitality options are available for purchase online at MyrtleBeachClassic.com. Children ages 15 and younger are admitted free with an adult ticketholder.

Click an icon below to browse photos from Monday’s Myrtle Beach Classic press conference at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club