San Diego, CA (January 21, 2014) – Farmers Insurance CEO Jeff Dailey officially kicked off the “Tee It Up For Kids” golf clinic with a $40,000 donation to local charities under The Birdies for Charity umbrella on Tuesday afternoon at MCAS Miramar Memorial Golf Course. Dailey made the donation in honor of Farmers’ customers in Moore, Okla., who have demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity and employee volunteers who have worked tirelessly to help those in need.
Joining Dailey in attendance was a special guest of Farmers for the duration of the Farmers Insurance Open: Jake Reddington, a 17-year-old survivor of the devastating May 2013 Moore, Okla., tornado. Dailey learned about Jake when he visited Moore immediately after the disaster. Jake will walk inside the ropes with PGA TOUR pro golfer Rickie Fowler during Wednesday’s Pro-Am as a special guest of Farmers and Fowler.
Tuesday’s event featuring Fowler and fellow PGA TOUR pro golfer Charley Hoffman, and San Diego Padres legend Trevor Hoffman, marked the third time the “Tee It Up For Kids” golf clinic preceded the Farmers Insurance Open.
“Farmers was founded on the guiding principle of caring for each other and our communities. We are tirelessly committed to helping the communities we are proud to serve,” said Jeff Dailey, Chief Executive Officer of Farmers Insurance. “Farmers chose these specific charities for their commitment to improving the entire San Diego community by empowering the area’s youth.”
“While each of these charities is unique, they all share a common goal: making San Diego a better place to live,” added Dailey. “Farmers is proud to support these organizations in their efforts to improve San Diego.”
Across the nation, Farmers helps communities recover from disasters and seeks opportunities to share their inspiring stories of hope and recovery with others. Last year, after the devastating F5 tornado hit Moore, Dailey, along with several members of the Farmers team, toured the community, surveyed the damage and met customers who had experienced losses.
While in Moore, Dailey met Jake’s mother who relayed the story of her son who literally “rode” out the storm in a bathtub with his dogs. During the conversation, Dailey learned that Jake was a huge fan of PGA TOUR pro and Oklahoma State University alum Rickie Fowler, so he arranged for Fowler to call the young tornado survivor. With the Farmers Insurance Open providing a platform for Farmers to talk about community resilience, the insurer felt it would be fitting to bring Jake to the 2014 golf tournament.
