Bobby Nichols-Fiddlesticks Charity Foundation raises more than $1M

Bobby Nichols-Fiddlesticks Charity Foundation raises more than $1M

Story via Andrew McDevitt, nbc29.com

For the 17th consecutive year, The Bobby Nichols Foundation hosted its annual celebrity pro-am at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers on Monday.

This year, the event raised more than $1 million, bringing their 17-year total north of $11 million. All of the money raised is donated to at-risk and underprivileged children in Southwest Florida.

“I never dreamed that kids could go to school hungry, and they do even in Southwest Florida, which you’d think, ‘My lord.’ But now, with Blessings in a Backpack and the help that we have with the other charities, I think we’re making an impact,” said Bobby Nichols, a former PGA Tour pro and the namesake for Monday’s event.

The foundation works in partnership with four local organizations to directly benefit children from Southwest Florida: Children’s Advocacy Center, Abused Counseling and Treatment, Blessings in a Backpack, and Liberty Youth Ranch.

Nichols is always blown away with the generosity in the donations but believes that the game he loves helps that cause.

“When you put your money up for golf you can participate in some kind of competition and that’s what really separates it from other sports,” said Nichols.

“It lends itself to that. You come out you have a golf tournament you have a dinner, you support causes in whatever it might be,” said Curtis Strange, a former tour pro, echoing Nichols thoughts.