In a typical year, golf fans fill the galleries and grandstands of two of central Ohio’s premier golf tournaments to take in the top-tier competition and support an important cause. This year was decidedly atypical, so the 2020 Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship looked and felt different. One thing that remained the same - a commitment to helping Nationwide Children’s Hospital achieve its mission of providing world-class care to every child who walks through the door, regardless of the family’s ability to pay.

On Wednesday, Dec. 16, officials from both tournaments announced that each event had set new charitable giving records despite an unparalleled year of challenges.

2020 Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide
The 45^th playing of the prestigious Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, contested annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club, raised a record-setting $3.1 million for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It is the first time the Tournament’s yearly charitable giving total has topped $3 million.

“The 2020 Memorial was certainly unlike any other, but we never lost focus on the importance of charity,” said executive director Dan Sullivan. “Despite the extreme challenges, the Tournament overcame a lot of obstacles, and with the support of many, we raised the bar to set a single year giving record for Nationwide Children’s. This is an amazing accomplishment given all that we faced during the pandemic.”

Since its inception in 1976, the Memorial has eclipsed $38 million in donations to central Ohio Charities, with nearly $26 million going to Nationwide Children’s.

Nationwide Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Ramon Jones, said the announcement is a “celebration of the collaborative success in raising essential dollars for Nationwide Children’s Hospital.”

“Nationwide and the Memorial share a similar tradition of support for the hospital. This record-setting gift is a terrific example of the power of partnerships among many organizations coming together to help kids and support the life-changing work happening every day at Nationwide Children’s,” Jones added.

2020 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship
The 14^th annual Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, hosted at The Ohio State University Golf Club – Scarlet Course, also generated record-setting charitable giving raising $2.67 million for central Ohio organizations, including $2.5 million for pediatric cancer research and treatment at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The total marks the largest single-season charitable donation raised for the hospital in the 14-year history of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals event and the fourth consecutive time the $2 million mark has been exceeded.

“The commitment that our sponsors provide year after year never disappoints,” said John Carter, president and chief operating officer for Nationwide Financial and president of the Champions of the Community, the host organization for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. “Their unwavering generosity was on full display in 2020 as they went above and beyond to support the tournament and Hospital despite the unprecedented times that led to a condensed pro-am schedule and competition rounds conducted without fans. We are truly grateful for their continued partnership.”

“In a year of such uncertainty, we are humbled by the donation made through the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship to our pediatric cancer program,” said Tim Robinson, CEO, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “We are making incredible strides in pediatric cancer care thanks to the charitable spirit of the tournament’s partners, the Korn Ferry Tour, The Ohio State University Department of Athletics and all of the volunteers who contribute to this fantastic event.”

Since its beginning in 2007, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship has donated a total of over $16.2 million in support of the hospital’s pediatric cancer program.

For more information about Nationwide Children’s Hospital or to make a donation, visit nationwidechildrens.org.