President Philip Callen announced the total and presented checks to representatives from the five charities including Arc Greater Twin Cities, The Arc of Minnesota, ProAct, Dakota Communities, and the Learning Disabilities Program of Children’s Home Society and Family Services. Shaun Irwin, President of Anderson Agency, the Presenting Sponsor of the Tapemark Pro-Am, was on hand to congratulate the agencies and thanked them for their hard work in improving the lives of people with disabilities.

“We’re so proud to say that in the celebration of our 40th year, we were able to bring our year-to-date total donations to over $6.6 million” announced Tapemark Pro-Am Vice-Chairman Robert Klas, Jr. “Each year we feel so privileged to be able to make such a difference, and agree that for us, this is by far the best day of the year.”

In addition to distributing funds, the Pro-Am had another big announcement: in 2012 the Pro-Am will feature a new Women’s Pro-Am as part of the event. The Tapemark Women’s Pro-Am will be the only women’s Pro-Am in Minnesota, and the Women’s Professional Championship will be the first of its kind in the state.

In the 41st year of the Tournament, Women Professional and Amateur golfers will play on Tuesday, June 5th with a Championship round on Sunday, June 10th. Based on the same format of the successful Men’s Event, teams will be captained by a Woman Professional golfer, and teams will be drawn randomly to include an A, B, and C amateur. A Women’s Professional Purse will be available to all competitors, and this will mark a full week of Pro-Am events.

The week begins on June 3rd with a Drawing of Teams Banquet, Women’s Event Day one June 5th (with both a competitive flight and a one-day tournament for non-handicapped women’s golfers), Men’s play on June 8 and 9, and then the week will culminate with Championship Play on Sunday, June 10 in both the Men’s and Women’s Event. Building on a 40-year tradition, the trophy presentation that day will see an increased Pro-Am purse of more than $50,000! All rounds are played at host and sponsor Southview Country Club, and registration will open in early January 2012 at tapemarkgolf.org.

The team event finished in a tie between team 14 (Benoit, Hayne, Winsor and Tinucci) and team 40 (Carlson, Prosser, Borgeson and Passe) at -60.

More information to follow…

In the team competition, the squad of Luke Benoit, Eric Hayne, Jim Winsor, and Patrick Tinucci leads at -42, closely followed by two teams tied at -40.

In the Team Competition, the team captained by Luke Benoit tore up the course with a score of -30, only two shots off the tournament record for a single day’s score. Benoit’s and his A amateur both carded 3-under rounds of 68, and with their teammates Jim Winsor and Patrick Tinucci, they shot to a 4 stroke lead over the team of Mike Zinni, Billy Barnhart, Tim Dove, and Vic Hapka.

Approaching our 40th year at the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, we are asking all golfers, fans, volunteers, sponsors, family, and friends of the Pro-Am to participate in our Facebook campaign.

Please visit http://www.facebook.com/TapemarkCharityProAm and share your stories and support from the last 40 years.  If you donated, or participated, we would like to hear why.

Thank you so much for being a part of the Pro-Am!

Purchase your chance to win 40 bottles of wine, an IPad, Minnesota Wild game tickets and a ride on the Zamboni during intermission, lots of golf, and the highlight: FOUR times to golf with a Tapemark Professional Champion! A chance for you and THREE friends to golf with Tapemark Champions Don Berry, Dave Tentis, John Carlson and Jeff Sorenson in a one day mini-Pro-Am in Spring of 2012!

Click here for a full list of prizes (PDF). Tickets available at the Tournament all week – and winners will be drawn on Sunday afternoon at the Pro-am. Need not be present to win!

UPDATE: List of winners below…

1 ) Four Times to Golf with Don Berry, Dave Tentis, John Carlson and Jeff Sorenson: to be announced
2 ) One year to Lilydale Pool and Yacht: to be announced
3 ) Getaway at Grandview Lodge: to be announced
4 ) Golf for four at Edinburgh: Fred Boos
5 ) 40 bottles of cupcake wine: Tim Madden
6 ) an iPad: Bill Clark
7 ) Driver: Jim Smart
8 ) Golf for four at Edina Country Club: Phil Johnson
9 ) Golf for four with carts at North Oaks: Helen Tinucci
10 ) Wild Package: Adam Ching
11 ) Golf for three at Minikahda: Susan Basett
12 ) Golf for four at Midland Hills: C. Woodward
13 ) Toro Personal Pace Recycler Mower: Jim MIshek
14 ) Golf for four at Tanners Brook and Falcon Ridge: Dolores Paulson
15 ) Golf for four at StoneRidge: Steve Kelly
16 ) Golf for four at Rush Creek: Wayne Doyle
17 ) Wild Package in Press Box: Vic Hopka
18 ) On the town, 40-person bowling party: Matt Langer
19 ) Beer Package: Pam Gonnella
20 ) FujiFilm Camera and Gift card: Magaret Eck
21 ) Bird Academy Golf School: Tom Mogren
22 ) 40 lbs of candy including 25 lb salted nut roll: Amir Abdelwahed
23 ) $400 gift certificate to Joe’s Sporting Goods: Michele Hein
24 ) $150 to Axel’s in Mendota: M. Haslerud
25 ) Casino Tour at Grand Casino Hinckley and Fortune Bay: Kathy Troveke
26 ) Golf Wisconsin, two days unlimited Golf: Eric Roach
27 ) 22″ LG Flatscreen: Mike DeBuck
28 ) MN Wild Tickets: Nancy McDermott
29 ) Golf for four at Mendakota: Robert Carlson
30 ) Golf for four at Green Haven: Mary Peterson
31 ) Golf for two at GreyStone and lesson with Dave Tentis: Jes Mellenthin
32 ) Golf for four at Cannon Golf Club and Wine Tasting: William Nelson
33 ) One night stay at Whitefish Lodge and Suites: Aimee Peltier
34 ) iPod Nano and iTunes gift cards: Tim Madden
35 ) Bed and Breakfast stay at St. Paul Hotel: Rich Bordas
36 ) Home Team Swag: Dan Gilroy
37 ) Golf for four at Island View: Nancy Borgstrom
38 ) $200 gift certificate to Southview Country Club: Dave Grove
39 ) City Sampler in Minneapolis/St. Paul: Wayne Doyle
40 ) Free entry in 2012 Tapemark Charity Pro-Am and Pro-Am Merchandise: Bob Wise

Now its almost 2011, the year in which we celebrate the 40th Annual Tapemark Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament. To honor the commitment and ingenuity of Bob Klas and Pat Cody, we are thrilled to announce a new giving initiative for this year’s landmark event, “400 for 40″. We are asking current and new donors to consider a $40 special gift to the Pro-Am to honor the 40th Anniversary, and to be made to honor Bob and Pat.

If you are one of our generous current sponsors, we ask you to consider adding an additional $40 to whatever amount you were already intending to contribute. And to our new supporters, please consider a gift that includes this $40 amount honoring the remarkable milestone the Pro-Am has achieved. These special $40 gifts can be designated to support one of our five benefiting charities, or made unrestricted for the general Pro-Am giving pool. If you designate a specific charity to receive your gift, they will receive every penny of your $40 contribution.

Thank you to all the competitors at the 17th Annual Tapemark Charity Women’s Golf Event, held Monday, Sept 19th at Southview Country Club. The weather cooperated fully with beautiful sunshine, and we shared a glorious afternoon of camraderie, competition, and most importantly, raising charitable funds to change the lives of people with developmental and learning disabilities.

We could not have done it without the critical support of our major sponsors: Anderson Ageny * US Bank * Southview Country Club * Tapemark Company * Travelers * Langer Commercial Real Estate * Lifeworks * PreferredOne * Langer Commercial Real Estate * TSE, Inc. * Associated Wealth Management

Congratulations to our 2011 Flight Winners!

Championship Flight – Amy Ament & Mary Warian
1st Flight - Jeri Meola & Katie Gordon
2nd Flight - Kathy Daleki & Jane Hill
Fun Flight #1 – Jane Meger & Kim Osbeck
Fun Flight #2  - Dianne Carlson & Vanessa Greer

And thanks to all our players for their generous financial support!

Raffle items will be mailed this week!  If you won cash or an item that would need to be picked up, you will be contacted.  Thank you to all who supported this important fund raising raffle!