First Book launches inaugural charity event to bolster educational resources in Title I Schools


WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2023 - In partnership with Topgolf and World Golf Tour (WGT), First Book is launching the inaugural First Book Open virtual golf tournament. The interactive, online charity event offers a fun, innovative way to support First Book's long history of transforming the lives of educators in under-resources communities.

The First Book Open tournament will kick-off tomorrow with a live stream event on October 14 at 12 p.m. EST, featuring First Book's CEO and Co-founder Kyle Zimmer and WGT guests competing in interactive gameplay. Special messages from First Book member educators, former NFL player Chris Long founder of the Chris Long Foundation, and the Build-A-Bear Foundation will be shared. Details on how to donate and participate in the month-long tournament will also be provided.

The live stream event is followed by 30 days of virtual golf that unites the collective strength of purpose-driven collaboration to support kids in need and eliminate barriers to educational equity.

Participants can log into WGT from October 14-November 14 and select to play on the historic Congressional Golf Course to participate in the First Book Open. Players can enter gameplay for free and pre-paid gift card prizes will be awarded to the top three scores on the leaderboard.

"Education transforms lives and at First Book we are building a world where every child can benefit from the joy and opportunity of a quality education," says Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. "Thanks to our partners at Topgolf and WGT we are spreading awareness about the barriers to quality education and the expanding resource gap in schools that unfairly burdens tens of millions of our nation's children. The collective impact of small contributions throughout this event will translate to transformative reading materials and opportunities inspiring our youth."

There is an immense educational resource gap in America that continues to widen. In the lowest-income communities, books have been as scarce as one book for every 300 children. This diminished access to books coincides with a national literacy crisis as students struggle to achieve reading proficiency across the country. The distribution of resources and heightened awareness of the challenges students and educators face is essential in bolstering the foundation for student success.

"Topgolf is rooted in our belief in the unlimited power of play, and we see this belief come to life with the First Book Open as people are invited to play WGT for such a worthy cause," said JF Prata, Chief Operations Officer for Topgolf Media. "It's things like this that make all of us at Topgolf so proud and remind us why we do what we do."

With 800,000 users monthly, WGT offers a platform to not only entertain, but catalyze collective impact in an exciting new way.

Tee off tomorrow by visiting WGT. To learn more about the virtual tournament or inquire about partnership opportunities visit https://firstbook.org/home/first-book-open/.

First Book
Education transforms lives. First Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality education. We work to remove barriers to education and level the playing field for kids in need. At the heart of our work are the 575,000 members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of educators and professionals dedicated to children in need across North America. This Network is the key to creating systemic change. Through our research arm, First Book Research & Insights, we conduct studies that aggregate their voices to identify barriers to equitable education and inform strategic solutions. To address their needs, we provide free and low-cost books, resources, and access to leading experts through the First Book Marketplace, which uses aggregated buying power to support this underserved community. Founded in Washington D.C. in 1992 as a nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is dedicated to eliminating barriers to learning and inspiring young minds. Learn more at FirstBook.org and visit our award-winning eCommerce website at FBMarketplace.org.

SOURCE First Book