WMPO hosts, The Thunderbirds, donate large sum to PCH

Most folks recognize the Waste Management Phoenix Open for its raucous atmosphere at the 16th hole and as “The Greatest Show on Grass.”

This year, the Thunderbirds, the civic organization based in Phoenix that hosts the event every year, are changing that narrative by making a $400,000 donation to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The organization announced in a release it presented the check to the hospital’s cardiovascular intensive care unit in a ceremony at the hospital on Thursday.

According to the release, the unit will use the money to double in size from 24 beds to 48 and get brand new equipment. It already ranks among the top 10 for cardiology and heart surgery, according to the U.S. News and World Report.

The Thunderbirds have hosted the golf tournament since its inception in 1932. Thunderbirds Charities, the nonprofit branch of the organization, was formed in 1986 to help distribute the money raised from the tournament to children and families throughout the Valley.

“We’re fortunate enough to host one of the best golf tournaments in the world, but these are the days we look forward to,” Chance Cozby, President of Thunderbirds Charities, said in a statement. “We’re honored to be a part of this project and celebrate this wonderful day, knowing that so many children and families will get such great treatment at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the years to come.”

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