May 10, 2016
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech Head Football Coach Paul Johnson and former basketball star Jon Barry earned $60,000 in scholarship and charity from the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament last week. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will split Team Georgia Tech’s winnings between Camp Twin Lakes and an endowed scholarship at Georgia Tech.
The duo finished -9 in the event, good for a second-place tie and $55,000 in charity winnings. Paul Johnson also took home the top prize in the Coaches Closest to the Pin Competition, earning another $5,000 for charity.
Of the winnings, $27,500 will go to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Endowed Scholarship at Georgia Tech. The remaining $32,500 will support Camp Twin Lakes, which provides life-changing camp experiences to thousands of Georgia’s children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other life challenges. Camp Twin Lakes collaborates with nearly 60 different nonprofit organizations, each serving a different population, to create customized programs that teach campers to overcome obstacles and grow in their confidence and capabilities. Annually, Camp Twin Lakes serves more than 9,100 campers, leverages support from 3,500 volunteers, and subsidizes 80% of the direct camp costs ($800) for every camper served.
Following its mission to support scholarship and charity at all levels, Peach Bowl, Inc. through its Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge will pay out a total of $540,000 to its 13 participating teams this year, with the winnings being split between a charity of the coach’s choice and an endowed scholarship at each university.
“We were honored to host Coach Johnson and Jon Barry again for this year’s tournament and congratulate them for their successful efforts,” said Gary Stokan, president and CEO of Peach Bowl, Inc. “We are thrilled to be able to donate $60,000 this year to help both the foundation and the university help others in need. We have now been able to donate $742,500 to Georgia Tech charities through this event since 2007.”
In addition to the $540,000 charity and scholarship purse, another $124,500 was generated for other charitable organizations. Over the last 10 years, the event has contributed a total of $6 million in scholarship and charity, helping make the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football’s most charitable bowl game.
In 2015, through its Peach Bowl Cares program, Peach Bowl, Inc. with Chick-fil-A through the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge recorded its ninth straight year of more than $1 million in giving by donating $1.5 million. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl has now distributed $19.5 million since 2002, more than any other bowl game.