Philanthropy Today:Jake Gittlen Memorial Golf Tournament 2013

The Jake Gittlen Memorial Golf Tournament will be held this week from August 14-18 at the Hershey Country Club,Pennsylvania.The tournament began in 1965 as the Blue Ridge Invitational,founded by Jake Gittlen to bring together the Blue Ridge Country Club and public course golfers.When he died of cancer in May 1970,it was renamed in Gittlen's honor by the country club.His son Warren,who had been a Penn State golf team captain,transformed the tournament into a fundraiser for cancer research at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center in his father's memory.*The first Jake Gittlen Memorial was held in September 1970 with 50 players.It was moved to the Hershey Country Club in 1996.Funds raised contributed to the development of the first anti-cancer vaccine,Gardisil,which helps prevent cervical and other cancers.*The tournament has grown from raising 2,500 dollars in 1970 to 850,000 in 2012,for a total of 15,840,000 to date.It is the nation's largest amateur golf fundraiser,with major support from Giant Food Stores.Other corporate sponsors include ABC27;AFLAC;Highmark Blue Shield;Merrill Lynch;Northwestern Mutual;Pepsi;Sysco;Sprint;T-Mobile;and Wells Fargo Advisors,LLC.

A Community Involved:The Jake Gittlen Cancer Research Foundation

The 43d annual Jake Gittlen Memorial Golf Tournament will be this Saturday and Sunday at the Hershey Country Club.The tournament was started in 1970 by Warren Gittlen as a tribute to his late father Jake,who died of cancer that year.The fundraising event supports the Jake Gittlen Cancer Research Foundation at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center,a world class laboratory that was instrumental in the development of the Gardasil(R) vaccine that prevents human papillomavirus,the leading cause of cervical cancer and also linked to head and neck cancer.The vaccine was initially for young women only,but it is now recommended for boys as well.
Brixton Albert,a native of Lititz,PA,is the defending champion in this important event on the region's golf calendar.Giant Food Stores is again supporting the tournament and the Foundation,along with vendor partners such as PepsiCo;General Mills;Kellogg's;Nestle;and Kimberly-Clark.Shopping at Giant Food Stores and purchasing vendor products supports the Foundation.The food retailer is part of Amsterdam-based Koninklijke Ahold AV.Giant has raised more than 5 million dollars for the Foundation since 1982,and is its main source of funding.
The research lab is currently working on such things as vaccine development,early cancer detection and finding new cancer therapies.
Hershey Country Club is located at 1000 East Derry Road,Hershey PA 17033.
Koninklijke Ahold NV(AHOMY)

Shop Talk:Jake Gittlen Memorial Golf Tournament 2012

Dear Readers,
Many of you are looking for news about this tournament.I understand it will be held the third weekend in August this year.The tournament will be held at its customary location,the Hershey Country Club.As always,it will benefit the Jake Gittlen Cancer Research Foundation at the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine.There are no plans to abandon this Central Pennsylvania tradition.
Brixton Albert won last year's tournament.
Sincerely,
Andrew Taylor

Jake Gittlen Memorial Tournament Underway Soon

The 42nd annual Jake Gittlen Memorial Golf Tournament will soon be underway at the Hershey Country Club in Pennsylvania.The tournament tees off on Saturday,August 13 and features the top amateur golfers in central Pennsylvania as they compete for local golf's biggest title.It will be played on the East Course this year,which was formerly the site of the Nationwide Tour's Hershey Open.
The tournament was first held in 1970 as a memorial to cancer victim Jake Gittlen by his son Warren,former captain of the Penn State golf team.It has raised over 14 million dollars to date and is the signature fundraiser for the Jake Gittlen Cancer Research Foundation.Northwestern Mutual is this year's tournament sponsor.
The research foundation raises more than 830,000 dollars a year in support of oncology studies at the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine.The scientists there are working on diverse topics,including carcinogenesis;immunotherapy;metastasis;genetic instability;and gene regulation.
Once again,Giant Food Stores is a major patron of the foundation.The company has raised more than 5.8 million dollars for the foundation since 1982.It is a division of Dutch food retailer Ahold.
Attractive,hand-made bracelets in support of the foundation may be purchased for 10.00 each by emailing asgwmg@comcast.net.
Koninklijke Ahold NV ADR(AHONY)