Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. (1890-1979) had a dream of providing college scholarships to deserving caddies. In 1928, the Western Golf Association’s leadership had the courage to invest in that dream, and today, more than 33,000 WGA Par Club members continue to help keep that dream alive.

WGA officers voted in 1928 to administer the Evans Trust, which Evans had established to fund his goal of providing college scholarships to deserving caddies. In 1930, the first two Evans Scholars enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. By 1935 the program had developed into the Evans Scholars Foundation, as it is known today.

Founded in 1950, the WGA Par Club has played a vital role in the Evans Scholars success story. The WGA Par Club members contribute $200 or more annually to the Evans Scholarship Program. Par Club support also is received through memorial memberships. In addition to the Par Club, over 100,000 golfers also give through the annual WGA Bag Tag program, and all proceeds from the WGA-conducted BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars.

Funds received through the Par Club, the Bag Tag program and the BMW Championship pay tuition and housing expenses for the more than 800 Evans Scholars enrolled each year at universities across the nation. In the more than five decades since the WGA Par Club was established, the Evans Scholars Program has gained national recognition as one of the finest examples of private initiative in helping others help themselves.

The more than 9,000 Evans Scholar graduates have pursued successful careers in business, government, health, education and other diverse occupations. These men and women are contributing to building a better society in ways they could not have dreamed possible before earning their Evans Scholarships. The Evans Alumni contribute more than $4 million annually to the program.

For more information, visit www.westerngolfassociation.com, or call (847) 724-4600.