The PGA TOUR is asking the public to help the SAS Championship earn up to $75,000 for local charities by voting in a friendly competition honoring the talent and dedication of its more than 100,000 volunteers, including more than 650 from the Raleigh-Cary area.

In its first year, the PGA TOUR Volunteer Challenge sponsored by Myrbetriq® (mirabegron) encourages voting for tournament volunteers and charities at pgatour.com/volunteers from now until 2 p.m. ET on Saturday of tournament week, October 14, 2017.

Participating volunteer teams ask friends, family, co-workers and the public to vote for them, and people who do not know a volunteer can cast a vote directly for the tournament. At the end of the voting period, the volunteer team with the most votes earns the opportunity to present a $10,000 check on behalf of Astellas Pharma US, Inc., to the charity of his or her choice from a list selected by the tournament. The tournament also has the opportunity to earn up to an additional $65,000 in charitable bonus funds based on the total number of votes received collectively by volunteers and the tournament.

“We are thrilled that volunteers at the SAS Championship are working to make such a tremendous difference for our community, and we encourage the public to vote, because when people vote tournament charities win,” said Jeff Kleiber, tournament director, SAS Championship.  

Each year, with the help of more than 100,000 volunteers, the PGA TOUR and its tournaments raise millions of dollars for charity, with more than $2.46 billion raised to date. Volunteers have helped the SAS Championship raise more than $4 million for local charities since its inception in 2001.

The PGA TOUR Volunteer Challenge will be held at 16 tournaments during the 2017 PGA TOUR season and builds upon more than $1 million donated by Astellas Pharma US, Inc., the pharmaceutical manufacturer of Myrbetriq® (mirabegron), to tournament charities over the course of the company’s sponsorship with the TOUR. Additional information is available at pgatour.com/volunteers.

“Astellas looks forward to building on the success of its 2017 partnership with the PGA TOUR and continuing the important programming that spotlights the power of volunteerism and enhancing the lives of those in need through charitable giving,” said Walt Johnston, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing, Urology and Hospital, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.

The tournament takes place from October 9 – 15, 2017, at the Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC. It features 81 of the world’s best professional golfers competing for a purse of $2.1 million.

About SAS

SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, SAS helps customers at more than 83,000 sites make better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.

About Octagon

At Octagon we inspire brands, talent, and our people to see the world for all its potential. Then, we help our clients pick the right opportunity to make the next right move. We are a passionate team of 800 savvy veterans and bold upstarts, relentlessly committed to helping our clients and our teammates push forward. What’s Your Move? See more at Octagon.com and join us @Octagon.

About PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 30 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2016, tournaments across all Tours generated a record of more than $166 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.46 billion.

The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

About Astellas

Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AstellasUS, Facebook at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/astellas-pharma.