The toro company and audubon international encourage young people to
“live green” through new program created for the first tee
St. augustine, fla.--(business wire)--select chapters of the first tee will participate in a new environmental education and course improvement program called “live green,” developed in partnership with the toro company and audubon international. from february to september of this year, nine chapters will participate in the program, providing around 900 young people the chance to work with audubon international and toro to enhance their chapter’s golf course. “toro has been a longtime supporter of the first tee and this latest program is an example of their desire to help our organization positively impact young people through educational programs,” said joe louis barrow, jr., chief executive of the first tee. “we are grateful for their leadership and audubon international’s participation, and trust the young people involved in the program will benefit, as will the environment.” “live green” brings attention to the environmental platform within the first tee’s nine healthy habits program. the nine healthy habits is a framework for curriculum for nine health and wellness topics that participants are taught to follow both in the game of golf as well as in their personal lives. one of the wellness topics is community. the first tee encourages young people to explore the health of their community and discover how they can give back and care for the environment. in addition to funding the program, toro will inform participating young people on engineering and science as it applies to golf course care. “engaging participants of the first tee in an environmental education project such as this extends toro’s purpose of enriching the beauty, productivity and sustainability of the land,” said mike hoffman, toro’s chairman and chief executive officer. “we are proud to partner with these two great organizations to provide students with a greater understanding of how courses today strive to create a great player experience while protecting the environment.” audubon international will work closely with each chapter throughout the program, assisting the chapters in identifying and recommending improvements at each chapter’s course and providing environmental education to the young people involved. about the first teethe first tee (www.thefirsttee.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. with its home office at world golf village in st. augustine, fla., the first tee reaches young people on golf courses, in elementary schools and on military installations. since its inception in 1997, the first tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 5 million young people in all 50 united states and six international locations. the first tee is an initiative of the world golf foundation and its founding partners are lpga, the masters tournament, pga of america, pga tour and the usga. former president george w. bush serves as honorary chairman. about the toro companythe toro company (nyse: ttc) is a leading worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment, and precision irrigation systems. with sales of nearly $1.9 billion in fiscal 2011, toro’s global presence extends to more than 90 countries through its reputation of world-class service, innovation and turf expertise. since 1914, the company has built a tradition of excellence around a number of strong brands to help customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields. more information is available at www.toro.com. about audubon internationalaudubon international is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization dedicated to providing people with the education and assistance they need to practice responsible management of land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources. since 1991, audubon international has been working to promote environmental education and stewardship in the game and on the course. over 2,400 golf courses across the united states and in two dozen countries work with audubon international through a set of education and environmental certification programs. for more information please visit: www.auduboninternational.org or www.golfandenvironment.com photos/multimedia gallery available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50189618&lang=en
