BLAINE, Minn. – (Aug 4, 2016) – As the 3M Championship took over the TPC in Blaine this week many were focused on the competition on the course. But the tournament is so much more than just 54 holes of golf. Another big part of the 3M Championship is charitable giving. Since its inception proceeds from the 3M Championship have been donated to Allina Health.
“We’ve been able to raise over $23 million over the 20 plus years of the 3M Championship,” said Mercy Hospital President Sara Criger. Each year the tournament donates $1.3 million.
Many of those dollars stay in the north metro at Mercy and Unity Hospital. “In the north metro market actually some of the funds have gone to help us build our recently opened Mother-Bay Center with Children’s Hospital in Coon Rapids. We were able to develop acute inpatient rehabilitation program with Courage Kenny on the Unity Campus. We have a new multipurpose room our cardiovascular multipurpose room that allows us to keep patients in the community with high end cardiovascular services at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids,” said Criger.
It is not just facilities that have been impacted. “We’ve been able to do some programs for patients who wouldn’t otherwise been able to get some services. So one of those programs has been cancer care coordinators for patients who have experienced a devastating diagnosis,” said Criger.
The donation from this year will be used to meet a growing need in the community. “This year the funds are going towards our mental health needs in the community. Mental health is something that really needs quite a bit of support from our market, from our community, from our partnerships, relationships, with others in the community so this is a program that’s worthy of support. We know their is a lack of outpatient services in particular. We have a huge emphasis on that and Allina keeping mental health patients well and focusing on getting them their medications, keep getting their treatments to keep them out of crisis, so that’s our focus for this year,” said Criger.
As thousands of golf fans come out to Blaine to watch the competition they are also making a difference in the lives of their neighbors. “It’s really a celebration I think of the community coming together to support the needs of our community. I guess that really hit you in your heart really more than anything to know that people are here to support us and supporting patients and delivering on our promise to patients,” said Criger.
