BMW Media Site Evans Scholars Message Points Contact: Stacy  Morris 201-594-3360 (office) 201-370-5134 (cell) stacy.morris@bmwna.com     Evans Scholars Message Points • Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., of Chicago, one of golf’s greatest amateurs, created the Evans Scholars Program. He won the 1916 U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur, the first golfer to earn both titles in the same year. Chick also won the 1910 Western Open and eight Western Amateur titles between 1909 and 1923.• Evans caddied at the old Edgewater Golf Club on Chicago’s North Side. As a successful young golfer, Chick decided to place in escrow any money that came his way from his golf skills so he could retain his amateur status.  He and his mother, Lena Young Evans, designated those funds for a scholarship program for caddies.• In 1923, the Western Golf Association agreed to support the concept of the caddie scholarship program as proposed by Evans. In 1930, a WGA committee selected the first two Scholars, and in 1935, the WGA legally formed the Evans Scholars Foundation to oversee the Program.• The first two Evans Scholars, Harold Fink and Jim McGinnis, enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in the fall of 1930.• Since 1930, more than 9,000 deserving caddies have graduated from college as Evans Scholars. In 2010-11, more than 850 Evans Scholars will be enrolled in college.• The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship is a full tuition and housing scholarship renewable for up to four years. Most Evans Scholars attend one of the 14 universities where the Foundation owns and operates a Scholarship House.• More than 500 member clubs and 100,000 golfers across the country support the Evans Scholars, making it among the nation’s largest privately funded scholarship programs.• The Foundation was named the 2004 PGA TOUR Charity of the Year. Quotes from Evans LeadersCharles “Chick” Evans Jr. (1890-1979), Evans Scholarships founder“My mother and I were convinced that the American caddie would be able to hold his own in all educational institutions,” Evans wrote in 1975. “We remembered that caddies … all over the nation were the same as those of old Edgewater, who wanted to be rich like the members of their clubs. We always felt that caddie scholarships would gain for the game of golf a new popularity through a most wholesome undertaking.”Roger Mohr, WGA Chairman“We are first and foremost dedicated to our mission of sending deserving caddies to college. Everything we do, from conducting the BMW Championship on the PGA TOUR to raising millions of dollars annually through the WGA Par Club, is focused on preserving and strengthening our commitment to the Evans Scholarships.”John Kaczkowski, President and CEO“We are privileged to be the modern-day caretakers of what has become golf’s greatest charity. We also realize that it’s our responsibility to take the steps necessary to ensure that the Evans Scholarships enjoy continued success.We are challenged today by the ever-increasing costs of tuition for our 800-plus Evans Scholars. As we move forward, we continue to look for ways to build our contributor base and to expand our fund-raising efforts.”James E. Moore, Senior Vice President of Foundation Advancement“We are investing in the futures of hundreds of young men and women annually. Caddies earn their scholarships through hard work on the golf course and in the classroom. They apply the same work ethic and values to excel in college, and when they graduate they contribute to the greater good of society through diverse careers in fields such as business, education, science and health care.Contributions to the Evans Scholarships really are investments in our nation’s future. This was Chick Evans’ vision, to send deserving caddies to college. By establishing the Evans Scholarships, Chick gave caddies an avenue to share in the American Dream.”