SCOTTSDALE, AZ - The city of Scottsdale, Arizona, has become a popular destination, known for holding many large events that bring in millions of dollars for charity.
In fact, some of the most popular events have raised approximately $72 million in 2022 and 2023 for charity.
The top three events in the city were: Waste Management Phoenix Open (TPC Golf Course), Barrett-Jackson Car Auction (Westworld) and the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show (Westworld), according to The Scottsdale Tourism & Events Situational Analysis document.
So where exactly are the millions of dollars coming from?
· In 2022 the Thunderbirds, hosts of the WM Phoenix Open, raised a total of $10.5 million for charity.
· In 2023 the Thunderbirds raised a total of $14,533,000 for Arizona charities.
· In 2022 Barrett-Jackson Car Auction raised more than $8.8 million for charity, according to their website.
· In 2023, Barrett-Jackson Car Auction raised $1.89 million dollars
· In 2023, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show donated $98,000, according to Melissa Schalles, executive director for the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona.
· Over the span of two years, the WM Phoenix Open raised $25.33 million.
· The Barrett-Jackson Car Auction raised $10.69 million from the two annual events.
· The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show donated $162,500, from 2022-2023.
The WM Phoenix Open raised the most money, out of the three, for the Thunderbird’s list of charities.
“The mission of Thunderbirds Charities is to assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in our communities. Our charitable giving will be directed toward organizations based or with a significant presence in Arizona” stated on the WM Phoenix Open website.
Found on the Thunderbird’s charities website, these charities are: American Red Cross SW States, A New Leaf, A Stepping Stone Foundation, and more.
What enables the WM Phoenix Open to raise this much money?
“The Waste Management Open is the largest event in Scottsdale, with more than twice as many attendees as the next largest event” says the Scottsdale Tourism & Events Situational Analysis document.
In 2022, the WM Phoenix Open brought $453.7 million to Arizona’s economy, according to an ASU study by the Seidman Research Institute at W.P. Carey School of Business.
However, what put the WM Phoenix Open on the map?
Ryan Woodcock, director of communications for WM Phoenix Open, said that Tiger Woods, a golfer who was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame, was the catalyst.
“What I think personally, what most people say, is this tournament got more on the map, even locally, but kind of nationally in 1997," Woodcock said. "That's when a young Tiger Woods, in his first year, was playing here and he made that hole-in-one at the 16th hole."
Woodcock said Tiger Woods’s hole-in-one at the 16th hole created an iconic bucket-list event that people from all over the country and internationally want to come out and see.
“Scottsdale is an international golf destination, and the WM Phoenix Open is a huge part of creating and continuing that legacy” said Karen Chuchard, tourism & events director for the City of Scottsdale.
The year 2024 will be the Waste Management Phoenix Open’s 89th tournament and it will be held February 8-11.
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